China hits out at G7 for criticism over maritime tensions

China today hit out at the G7 nations for blaming it for tensions in East and South China seas, warning that the country is ready to respond if its sovereign rights and territorial integrity are infringed.
"The remarks of the G7 fall far short of the facts and international justice," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said.
Hong said as a sovereign state China is ready to respond to any behaviour infringing its sovereign rights and territorial integrity.
He was reacting to a declaration released yesterday after a summit of G7 industrialised nations -- which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the US.

"We are concerned by tensions in the East and South China seas. We underline the importance of peaceful dispute settlement as well as free and unimpeded lawful use of the world's oceans," the G7 leaders said in the declaration at the Elmau Castle retreat in Germany.
"We strongly oppose the use of intimidation, coercion or force, as well as any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo, such as large scale land reclamation," they said.

The G7 leaders, although, stopped short of mentioning any country, it was obvious they pointed at China over the South China Sea issue, official Xinhua news agency said in a report.

The foreign ministry spokesman said the international community has fair opinions on the rights and wrongs of the issues over the East and South China seas, in which a number of countries hold competing claims of sovereignty.
China has showed restraint over the so-called status quo to maintain the peace and stability in the region, he said.
China is committed to maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight in the East and South China seas, and it will be the first to come out against any behaviour threatening navigational freedom in these waters, he said.
Hong reaffirmed China's sovereignty over the disputed islands with Japan in East China Sea, as well as the Nansha Islands and adjacent waters in the South China Sea.

China's claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, disputed by Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan.
Hong said China's land reclamation around islands and reefs of the Nansha Islands falls within its sovereignty and no foreign countries should intervene.
According to Hong, construction on these islands is mainly for civilian purposes which will enable China to fulfil its international obligations such as maritime search and rescue, and their military function is defensive in nature.
"The Chinese government will never recognise the illegal occupation of its Diaoyu Islands and its affiliated islets as well as parts of the Nansha Islands by other countries," he said.

He said China has shown commitment to solving maritime disputes through negotiations and consultations directly with the concerned parties, based on respect to historical facts and international law.