Tensions flared at the United Nations Security Council on Monday as China’s deputy ambassador harshly criticized statements from Japan and the European Union regarding maritime security in disputed Asian waters.
During the council’s maritime security discussion, Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Ayano Kunimitsu expressed Tokyo’s deep worries about developments in both the East China Sea and South China Sea regions. She restated Japan’s stance against any forceful attempts to alter current territorial arrangements and interference with maritime and aviation freedoms.
European Union UN delegation chief Stavros Lambrinidis similarly addressed South China Sea disputes, noting how the conflicts disrupt vital commercial shipping routes and undermine international maritime law.
Both officials avoided directly naming China, despite Beijing’s extensive territorial claims throughout the South China Sea and ongoing disputes with Japan in the East China Sea.
China’s deputy UN representative Sun Lei dismissed the Japanese statements as “unwarranted” and said they “completely confound black and white.” He criticized the EU official for making “unsubstantiated and irresponsible remarks on the South China Sea issue.”
“In reality, the situation in the East and South China Seas remains stable overall and the South China Sea stands as one of the freest shipping lanes in the world,” Sun stated.
Sun accused Japan of recently deploying naval vessels “to flex their muscles and deliberately provoke tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” claiming this action sent a “gravely erroneous signal” to Taiwan independence supporters. China considers Taiwan, which governs itself democratically, to be Chinese territory.
The Chinese diplomat also referenced controversial Taiwan comments made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in previous months, saying these statements “have dealt a severe blow to China-Japan relations.”
Relations between the two Asian powers deteriorated significantly after Takaichi suggested in November that Japan might respond militarily if China attacked Taiwan.
Sun alleged that “right-wing forces are steering Japan’s security policy towards an offensive and expansionist posture” and warned that eight decades after World War Two, “a new militarism is resurging in Japan.”
He pointed to Japan’s loosened restrictions on weapons exports, deployment of strike missiles, and higher defense spending as evidence that Japan seeks “to pave the way for military expansion.”
Earlier this month, the Japanese destroyer JS Ikazuchi sailed through the Taiwan Strait, which China condemned as “a deliberate provocation.”
Meanwhile, China has significantly expanded its military capabilities in recent years, built installations on contested South China Sea islands, and conducted large-scale training exercises near Taiwan, raising alarm among regional neighbors and international partners.
