Q：Recently, the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines said in an interview that "the nine-dash line, or now ten-dash line, that China has drawn is a cartoon", and China’s maritime claims are not a factual representation of international maritime laws. She reiterated earlier pronouncements that the United States stands with its ally the Philippines in terms of upholding international law. What is the embassy's comment on this?

A: China’s sovereignty and rights and interests in the South China Sea have been established in the long course of history, and are solidly grounded in history and the law. China is the first to have discovered, named, and explored and exploited Nanhai Zhudao and relevant waters, and the first to have exercised sovereignty and jurisdiction over them continuously, peacefully and effectively, thus establishing territorial sovereignty and relevant rights and interests in the South China Sea. After World War II, China recovered and resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao, which had been illegally occupied by Japan during its war of aggression against China. To strengthen the administration over Nanhai Zhudao, the Chinese government officially published Nan Hai Zhu Dao Wei Zhi Tu (Location Map of the South China Sea Islands) on which the dotted line is marked as early as February 1948.

During World War II, with the joint issuing of the Cairo Declaration and signature of the Potsdam Proclamation, the United States has recognized jurisprudentially China's sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao. After the War, it was onboard the US-provided warships that Chinese troops formally recovered Nanhai Zhudao. In the 1950s again, it was with the approval of the Chinese authorities in Taiwan to whom multiple preceding U.S. requests had been made that American survey ships were allowed to operate in the South China Sea. While today, out of its own geopolitical interests, the U.S. has begun to question China's claims in the South China Sea by falsely labeling the nine-dash line as a fabricated "cartoon". Considering historical facts, hasn't the U.S. ever thought of its caricature in this very "cartoon"?

When it comes to application of international law, the US has kept a consistent record of being discretionary. We can't help but ask: if the U.S. is as committed to international law as it claims to be, why not start with upholding the post-WWII international order underpinned by the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation? Why has it yet to join the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), while citing the UNCLOS to restrain others and let itself off the hook?

The US is not a party to the dispute of the South China Sea and is in no position to interfere in the maritime issues between China and the Philippines. We urge the US to stop sowing discord and inciting confrontation, respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, stop all words and actions that are not conducive to regional peace and stability, and refrain from being a troublemaker to peace and stability in the South China Sea.