Voices

“As the saying goes： there is more than meets the eye. The South China Sea Arbitration against China initiated by the Philippines is very deceptive. Abundant evidence has shown that the Philippines is actually focusing on territorial sovereignty and maritime delimitation， and that its actual objective is to deny Chinas sovereignty over maritime features of the Nansha Islands， and to legitimize its unlawful stealing of the maritime features of the Nansha Islands from China. So it is highly advisable that before talking of respect for and acting in accordance with international law， one needs to get clear in the first place the subject matter in question and its essence， and what international law is all about.”

An extract from the article by HE Ambassador Yang Yanyi， head of the Chinese Mission to the EU， recently published in The European Sting and EU Observer， entitled “Some Prevailing Arguments and Perceptions over the South China Sea Issue Are Simply Wrong.”

“At the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China， the Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan， Dr. Abdullah Abdullah， paid an official visit to China from May 15 to May 18. This visit was most significant as the two countries diplomatic relationship has now entered its second 60-year cycle. If President Mohammad Ashraf Ghanis visit to China in 2014 was a ‘directiondetermining visit， which defines the Afghan National Unity Governments relations with China in the new era， CE Dr. Abdullahs visit is a ‘promotional visit， which further pushes forward the Strategic and Cooperative Partnership between China and Afghanistan.”

An extract from the article entitled “‘Promotional Visit to Deepen Friendship between China and Afghanistan，” by Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Yao Jing， published in Daily Outlook Afghanistan on May 25， 2016.