China slams G7 communique on East, South China Sea

By Gaurav Sharma

Beijing, May 28 (IANS) China on Sunday slammed the G7 communique, which had a mention of the disputed East and the South China Sea issue.

Reacting to the communique released by the G7 countries on Saturday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said the bloc had "interfered in the East China Sea and South China Sea issues in the guise of international law".

China has been committed to properly handling disputes, cementing cooperation, and safeguarding peace and stability of the East China Sea and the South China Sea through talks and consultations directly with related parties, Lu was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

Lu urged G7 and countries outside to understand the situation, stick to the pledge to take no position on relevant disputes, fully respect the efforts made by countries in the region to handle disputes, and stop making irresponsible remarks.

China is locked in a disputed with Japan, the Philippines, and other countries over the East and the South China Sea.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea to which the Philippines and other also have overlapping claims.

China also asserts sovereignty over the East China Sea, a claim contested by its arch and traditional rival Japan.