BEIJING, August 21. /TASS/. The Chinese authorities have deemed the recent statement by the leaders of the US, South Korea and Japan on Beijing's allegedly "aggressive behavior" in the South China Sea as slanderous and representing interference in China’s domestic affairs, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.
"The leaders of the three countries at a meeting at the [US president’s] Camp David residence allowed themselves to attack China and spread smears and slander about it on issues pertaining to Taiwan and the South China Sea," he told a briefing, "This is a gross interference in China's internal affairs, a deliberate provocation with respect to China's relations with neighboring countries."
Such actions by Washington, Seoul and Tokyo "seriously violate the principles of international relations," the diplomat added. "We express our categorical dissatisfaction and strong protest on this issue. China has already made a serious representation to the abovementioned parties," Wang added. According to him, Beijing insists that the United States and its allies keep their promises, not violate China's interests and stop contributing to the escalation of tensions in the region.
Last week, the leaders of the US, South Korea and Japan spoke out against what they termed China's "dangerous and aggressive behavior" in the South China Sea after a trilateral summit meeting in the US. The parties reaffirmed their unaltered fundamental positions on Taiwan and said they supported a peaceful settlement to the issue.