The European Union renewed, on Monday, its "strong" rejection of any unilateral measures by China that could endanger peace, security and stability in the South China Sea region.
The Union stated - in a press statement issued by the External Action Service of the European Union, on its official website - that the coast guard ships in the People's Republic of China prevented two days ago, two Filipino supply boats, who were on their way to the Second Thomas Shoal area, which is located 105 nautical miles west of the province. Palawan, the Philippines, in the South China Sea, and used water cannons against them, explaining that the incident comes in the wake of other unilateral measures taken by Chinese ships in the South China Sea over the past months.
The statement added: "The European Union stressed the importance of all parties respecting the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea. We urge all parties to resolve disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including settlement mechanisms. disputes".
In this context, the European Union invoked the arbitration award issued under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of July 12, 2016, which found that the Second Thomas Shoal area lies within the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of the Philippines, and the European Union also supports the ASEAN-led process towards developing a code of rules conduct in the South China Sea, which should be effective, objective and legally binding, and not harm the interests of third parties.
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