In a stern message to its neighbours, China on Saturday, said it is determined to defend “every inch” of its territory and there was “no room for compromise” with Japan over territorial or historical disputes.
“We will not take anything that is not ours, but we will defend every inch of territory that belongs to us,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told mediapersons here in his annual press conference on the
sidelines of the ongoing National People’s Congress (NPC) session.
There was no direct reference to India in his press conference, while he launched a frontal attack on Japan and made strong comments about smaller maritime neighbours who contest China’s claims over the South China Sea.
There have been frequent border incursions by Chinese troops into Indian territory and China also claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, part of the dispute over the 4,000-km line of Actual Control between the two countries.
“We will never bully smaller countries, yet we will not accept unreasonable denunciation from smaller countries,” he said regarding China’s neighbourhood diplomacy, especially in the South China Sea.
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei question China’s claims of sovereignty over a host of islands in the South China Sea which in recent months has escalated with the US lending its voice to their demands.
Wang said that the general situation in China’s neighbourhood remains “stable
and positive”.
He said that China would like to carry out equal-footed consultation and negotiation, and properly handle its
territorial and maritime
disputes with some countries by peaceful means on the basis
of historical facts and the
international law.
“There will not be any change to this position. We will more actively practise our neighbourhood diplomacy guideline of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness,” he said.
He said China would also allow more of its neighbours and peoples to benefit from the reform and opening up of the world’s second largest economy. “We are also willing to listen to the voices from our neighbouring countries and respond to the doubts about China’s neighbourhood diplomacy,” Wang added.
Referring to Sino-Japanese relations damaged by the raging dispute over the islands in the East China Sea, Wang said, “On the two issues of principle, history and territory, there is no room for compromise”.
The minister’s remarks highlight the mounting tension between China and Japan over territorial and historical rows.
Relations between the two East Asian giants have hit a new low since Japan’s “purchase” of the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands in September 2012.
The dispute with Tokyo is particularly tense given historical animosities between the two nations over Japan’s
invasion of China during the second world war.
Wang said that if Japan insists on overturning the history of its
past aggression, the international community would not tolerate or
condone it.
Also in a loaded message for China’s ally North Korea,
Wang said China will not allow war or instability on the Korean Peninsula.
“The Korean Peninsula is right on China’s doorstep. We have a red
line, that is, we will not allow war or instability on the Korean
Peninsula,” Wang said.
“I believe this is also fully in the interest of the south and north
of the peninsula and in the common interest of the whole region,” Wang added.
The minister also called for an early resumption of the six-party
talks on North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.
Describing the nuclear issue as the “crux of the matter,” Wang said,
“First, we need climb the slope of denuclearisation. Only with denuclearisation
can the Korean Peninsula have genuine and lasting peace”.
About China’s rocky ties with the US, Wang said that mutual respect
is the foundation for a new model of major-country relationship between
the two nations.
At the heart of the new model is no conflict, no confrontation,
mutual respect and win-win cooperation, Wang reiterated.
“This is a positive strategic outlook the two countries showed to
the world, and a solemn commitment made to the international community,”
Wang added.
“Our experiences and lessons of these 35 years come down to one
point: we need to respect each other,” Wang said.
“In our view, the Asia-Pacific region should be the testing ground
of our commitment to build a new model of relations, rather than
a competitive arena,” he said about US military push into Asia-Pacific.
PTI