Chinese vessels are seen around Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. (Photo : Reuters)
A retired Chinese diplomat has asked the United States not to meddle in China’s internal affairs, despite strong bilateral ties between the two countries, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.
The remarks were made last week at the sidelines of a seminar held in a university in Hong Kong by Li Zhaoxing, China's foreign minister between 2003 and 2007.
"I am fully confident about China-U.S. relations," said Li, who also served as China's ambassador to the United States from 1998 to 2001. "The two countries share a lot of common interests but it is most important for [the U.S.] not to interfere in China's internal affairs."
The Chinese government had earlier called for the two countries to manage the South China Sea conflict positively.
The report said that Li's remarks were made as tensions at the South China escalate after the two countries exchanged accusations on Thursday, May 19, over the deployment of a U.S. reconnaissance plane near Hainan Island.
China rejected the claim of U.S. defense officials that the interception made by Chinese jet fighters of a U.S. Navy spy plane was "unsafe" and conducted in international airspace.
The report said that the incident is expected to dominate the issues to be discussed at the annual U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue to be held early next month, while the ruling on the disputes in the South China Sea is soon to be released by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
"The islands in the South China Sea belong to us. . . . The international court does not have the right [to rule]," Li said. "The U.S. has been using the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea [to pressure China]."
"The U.S. itself hasn't even ratified the convention yet, which is ridiculous. We won't give even one inch when it [involves] China's territory. But we won't compete for [territory] if it is not ours," Li added.
The retired diplomat also criticized the U.S. for making exaggerations on the capacity of China's military.
"There have been certain politicians and researchers who have exaggerated the rise of China's military power and the threat it poses in the South China Sea. . . . We have to be careful with these kinds of 'compliments,'" Li said.
Li added that the country's military strategy is aimed at defending the country. He also urged both China and the U.S. to implement the establishment of a new type of "major-country" relationship proposed by President Xi Jinping.
