BEIJING — China’s foreign ministry issued a sharp warning to European nations on Tuesday, urging them to watch their words and actions regarding the South China Sea and to stop supporting what Beijing describes as an “illegal ruling” — or risk damaging relations and cooperation between China and the European Union.
During a routine daily press briefing, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian made the country’s position clear. “Europe is not a party to the South China Sea issue and has no right to comment on China’s legitimate territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea,” Lin stated.
The warning followed a joint statement released the previous Sunday, in which a group of nations — including several European countries — declared that China’s broad maritime territorial claims in the South China Sea lack any legal foundation. The European Union subsequently issued its own related statement on the matter.
Beyond the verbal rebuke, China took additional diplomatic steps, with Lin confirming that officials from the embassies of the relevant countries and the EU’s delegation in China were summoned and formally presented with serious objections from the Chinese government.
