The Chinese Embassy in Manila warned the European Union (EU) not to interfere into the territorial and maritime issues involving the Philippines in the South China Sea, reiterating that the regional bloc “has no standing” since it is not a party to the dispute.
EU must not interfere in SCS dispute—Chinese embassy
Published Jun 5, 2025 06:49 pm
Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas (DFA Photo)
This was emphasized by the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Manila in a statement on Thursday, June 5.
“The EU is not a party to the South China Sea disputes and therefore has no standing to interfere in maritime disputes between China and the Philippines, nor to criticize China’s legitimate efforts to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” the statement read.
“We urge the EU to respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and to refrain from actions that could escalate tensions,” it added.
The embassy also called on the Philippines “not to bring external forces into the South China Sea disputes with China and to return to the right path of managing differences through dialogue and consultation with China.”
The remarks came after the visit of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission (HRVP) Kaja Kallas, who expressed EU’s rejection of the use of coercion in the region and reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal.
Stressing that China’s claims in the South China Sea are grounded in international law and are consistent even with the UN Charter, the embassy said that the disputes between Beijing and Manila fall outside the scope of the UNCLOS since it’s a “matter of territorial sovereignty.”
It also once more rejected the 2016 arbitral tribunal victory that invalidated the basis of China’s nine-dash-line claim, alleging that the award “violated the principle of state consent, exercised its jurisdiction ultra vires, and rendered an award that disregards the law.”
“As such, the award is unlawful, null and void, and entirely without legal effect. China does not accept or recognize the award and will not accept any claims or actions based on it,” the statement added.
The embassy claimed that the situation in the disputed territories is “generally stable” and that “freedom of navigation and overflight in this area has never been an issue” despite reports of harassment by Chinese ships of Philippine vessels, including maritime research delegations.
China has claimed nearly the entire South China Sea, including exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of its neighboring countries—the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei.
The basis of these claims is a 1947 map that shows vague dashes outlining what Beijing says are its maritime territories.