China rejects Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for rethink and ‘will respond to foreign ships’ in disputed South China Sea
Beijing says it has right to respond to foreign aircraft and ships that deliberately get close to China’s islands
China has rebuffed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for Beijing to rethink its conduct in the South China Sea, saying China has the right to react to foreign ships or aircraft that get close to its islands.
Duterte said China has no right to repel foreign aircraft and boats passing by artificial islands in the disputed waterway, and that he hoped China would “temper” its behaviour and stop restricting movements.
In a statement sent to Reuters on Thursday, China’s foreign ministry said the Spratly Islands were China’s inherent territory and that China respects the right to freedom of navigation and overflight that all countries enjoy in the South China Sea under international law.
“But China has a right to take necessary steps to respond to foreign aircraft and ships that deliberately get close to or make incursions into the air and waters near China’s relevant islands, and provocative actions that threaten the security of Chinese personnel stationed there,” the statement read.
“China urges the relevant party to meet China halfway, and jointly protect the present good situation that has not come easily in the South China Sea,” the ministry added, without elaborating.