China slams G7 statement on contested waters

BEIJING: China is “strongly peaceful management and settlement of disputes.

“We express our strong opposition to any intimidating, coercive or provocative unilateral actions that could alter the status quo and increase tensions.”

The G7 statement did not explicitly name China, but Beijing lays claim to almost all of the - ing partial claims from Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines.

- lands in the area in recent months as it asserts its sovereignty.

Japan, meanwhile, has its own dispute with China in the East China Sea over uninhabited islands that it administers but that are also claimed by Beijing.

The G7 also urged “all states to refrain from such actions as land reclamations” and “building of outposts... for military purposes”.

Beijing indicated that it felt targeted by the comments.

“Given the sluggish global economic recovery at the moment, G7 should have focused on global economic governance and cooperation instead of hyping up maritime issues and fuelling tensions in the region,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu said.