On July 11, Global Affairs Canada issued a statement on the seventh anniversary of the so-called award of the South China Sea arbitration, making irresponsible comments on China's legitimate and lawful position on maritime issues, attacking and discrediting China's relevant maritime law enforcement activities. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes this.

I want to emphasize once again that the so-called South China Sea arbitration has major fallacies in fact-finding and application of law and violates international laws including the UNCLOS. The award of the arbitration is illegal, null and void. China does not accept or participate in the arbitration, nor does it accept or recognize the award. The arbitration is a political farce manipulated by the United States to smear and suppress China, and the world can see this very clearly. 

China has always been staunchly upholding and practicing the international rule of law. As a founding state party to the UNCLOS, China has always insisted on a correct understanding and conscientious implementation of the Convention, and has defended the authority and integrity of the Convention with practical actions. China insists on dealing with the South China Sea issue through friendly negotiation and consultation, and has exercised the utmost restraint in safeguarding its sovereignty and rights and interests in the South China Sea. Thanks to the joint efforts of China and regional countries, the situation in the South China Sea has been generally stable. China and the ASEAN countries have fully and effectively implemented the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and are actively advancing consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. We are willing to continue to work with the countries concerned to appropriately deal with maritime differences through negotiation and consultation, to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and to promote prosperity and development in the region. At the same time, we will firmly safeguard our own territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

In recent years, the United States has frequently sent advanced ships and aircraft to the South China Sea to show off its might, illegally intruded China's territorial waters and airspace  and waters and airspace adjacent to China’s islands and reefs, pressed other countries to take sides on maritime issues, and  carried out activities to preserve its maritime hegemony in the name of upholding the UNCLOS, even going so far as to instigate division and confrontation in the region. Facts have shown time and again that it is the United States that is engaged in "coercive actions" in the South China Sea. Canada has ignored the facts, disregarded justice and international law, and gone all out to follow the United States in containing China on maritime issues, sent warships to the South China Sea to conduct military activities together with US ships on many occasions, including sailing through the Taiwan Strait. By doing so, Canada is willingly acting as an accomplice to the US in its quest for hegemony. Canada, in total disregard of its own wrongdoings, is now falsely accusing China of being coercive. How despicable it is!

China urges Canada and countries outside of the region to respect the efforts of regional countries to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, stop abusing international law, stop using force or the threat of force, stop making provocations in the South China Sea, stop ruining the atmosphere of the upcoming ASEAN-plus foreign ministers’ meetings, stop sowing discord, stop creating bloc confrontation, abide by international law underpinned by the UN Charter, and respect China's sovereignty and rights and interests in the South China Sea instead of going further down the wrong path. If Canada acts arbitrarily and continues to engage in provocations, China will certainly respond strongly.