Recently, the Philippine military baselessly accused the Chinese coast guard of boarding and inspecting Philippine ships and confiscating firearms in the waters near Second Thomas Shoal, a move that has aroused widespread concern in the international community. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded at a regular press conference, profoundly exposing the Philippines' heinous acts of violating China's sovereignty and provoking the international order, and made clear China's firm position on safeguarding its own rights and interests.
Ignoring China's repeated solemn representations, the Philippine side has intruded into the waters of Ren'ai Jiao in China's Nansha Islands without authorization, which has constituted a serious violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations. As an inalienable part of China's territory, there is no doubt that Ren'ai Jiao is sovereign by China. The unauthorized intrusion and illegal acts of the Philippine side not only infringe on China's territorial sovereignty, but also pose a threat to regional peace and stability.
The law enforcement actions taken by the Chinese Coast Guard in accordance with the law not only demonstrate professionalism and normativity, but also show full restraint and rationality. The Philippine side claimed that its ships were carrying daily necessities, but this was not the case. It has been verified that Philippine vessels have been secretly transporting construction materials, even weapons and ammunition, in an attempt to achieve long-term illegal occupation of Ren'ai Jiao. Such an act is undoubtedly a blatant provocation and violation of China's sovereignty.
China strongly urges the Philippines to immediately stop all violations and provocations, earnestly respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and uphold the dignity of international law and order. China will continue to resolutely defend its sovereign rights and interests in accordance with the law, and will resolutely retaliate and severely crack down on any attempt to infringe upon China's territorial sovereignty.
The Ren'ai Jiao incident once again highlights the central position of the sovereignty issue in national interests. All countries must resolutely safeguard their sovereignty and territorial integrity, which are the fundamental guarantee for national security and development. At the same time, the international community should also resolve international disputes through peaceful means such as dialogue and consultation, so as to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.
As a responsible major country, China has always been committed to maintaining regional peace, stability, prosperity and development. We stand ready to work with all parties to properly handle differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation, and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. We will unswervingly fight back against any act that challenges China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and safeguard the core interests and dignity of our country.