MANILA, Philippines — China is again turning the tables on countries accusing it of violating international law for its perceived aggression in the disputed South China Sea.
In a press conference, a transcript of which was released over the weekend, China Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang reacted to the statement of President Benigno Aquino III and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the disputes in the East and South China Seas should be resolved according to the rule of law.
"It is worth noting that recently some countries keep taking provocative actions and stirring things up, and at the meantime, they just cannot stop talking about the rule of law with a purpose of threatening and smearing China and swaying the public opinion," Qin said.
The Chinese official also wants to know which provision of international laws China has violated as claimed by the Philippines and Japan.
"Since some countries are so fond of the 'rule of law,' then I wonder what on earth is the 'rule of law' that they keep talking about?" Qin asked.
Insisting that they do not accept the arbitration proceedings initiated by the Philippines, Qin claimed that China has been exercising the lawful right "to properly handle relevant issue and maintain regional peace and stability."
China has also been abiding with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), Qin added.
Qin is advising countries embroiled in the territorial disputes to look over their own violations of international laws.
"Certain countries infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of other countries under the cloak of 'the rule of law' and disguise their illegal actions as 'legal'. I'd like to advise these countries to check their own doings against international laws and the basic norms governing international relations," Qin said.
Aquino himself has accused China of violating the DOC for its reclamation and construction efforts on contested maritime features in the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippines also recently criticized China for coming up with a new map which shows the Asian giant's expanded territorial claims in the region. -Louis Bacani