China makes veiled threat after New Zealand marks South China Sea ruling’s anniversary

The Chinese Embassy in Wellington has hit out at the Government for its decision to join the United States in signing up to a joint statement that marks the 10th anniversary of a landmark international decision relating to China’s controversial claims to the South China Sea.

In a statement, Ambassador Wang Xiaolong lashed the Government’s decision to sign on to the statement and made an oblique threat to hurting New Zealand’s interests in China – this country’s top export market.

“China has never chosen to hurt the interests of New Zealand in the past. Nor is it our intention to do so in the future. We remain committed to a mutually respectful and mutually beneficial relationship.

“However, it takes two to tango. And no one should underestimate our resolve and capability to defend our legitimate rights and interests.

“We urge the New Zealand side to cease immediately violating China’s interests and return to the path of promoting the development of the bilateral relationship on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit, and resolving disputes through constructive dialogues, with a view to avoiding further damage to the relationship,” Wang said.

The offending statement said New Zealand reaffirmed the decision of an Arbitration Tribunal, convened under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, that there was no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea.

It reiterated the 12 countries’ “strong opposition” to “any destabilising or unilateral actions including by force or coercion that threaten peace and stability in the region”.

Wang said China was “deeply disappointed” that New Zealand joined the statement, saying it “deviates from the understanding reached by our leaders and seriously undermines the foundation of [a] healthy and stable relationship”.

China described the arbitration decision as “illegal”.

“China urges the relevant countries to earnestly respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, stop stirring up trouble over the South China Sea issue, and cease undermining peace and stability in the South China Sea,” he said.

The Governments of Australia, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, the Republic of the Philippines, Romania, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the United States all signed up to the statement.

Wang noted in his statement that the vast bulk of the world’s nearly 200 states did not sign on to the statement.