China should be "sensitive" to concerns of other countries, especially when it comes to territorial issues, Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu Kumaran said Friday, Sep. 1.
Kumaran's remark came as China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told countries concerned of its 2023 standard map to remain "calm" and not "overinterpret" the issue when their new map laid claims to territories of the Philippines, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Indonesia and Taiwan.
"Broadly speaking, I would say that countries should be sensitive to each other's concerns. And when some actions are taken, it is natural that those affected will express their concern," he said in a meeting with the press.
Kumaran said countries that already have rejected the map, which included the Philippines, India, Malaysia and Vietnam, were just "forthright" in raising their position as they were only affected.
"That does not in some way imply that those countries are being not so calm," he added.
Kumaran said Beijing may follow India's approach when it handled an arbitration case filed by Bangladesh against India over the Bay of Bengal.
"You have to adhere to international law whether it goes to your favor or not. In the case of the award between India and Bangladesh, it was favorable to Bangladesh, but that did not mean India would walk away from it," he said.