Gerry Brownlee looks forward as Prime Minister John Key delivers his speech. (Photo : Getty Images)
New Zealand's defense minister was told by a Chinese official to stay away from the South China Sea issue as the country is not involved.
The South China Sea is being claimed by China and is in a dispute with the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. There is an estimated $5 trillion worth of trade in the disputed territory.
"We hope that countries who are not involved in the disputes respect the countries who are having the disputes to . . . work among themselves," Fu Ying, chairwoman of China's foreign affairs committee for parliament.
Fu, a former deputy foreign minister, added, "Outside involvement, I think the developments have shown, interferences, can only complicate the differences and sometimes even add to the tension."
New Zealand Defense Minister Gerry Brownlee expressed that his country disagrees with China's stand on the South China Sea. China is firm on its claim amidst the decision of the international tribunal at The Hague.
"We oppose actions that undermine peace and erode trust and would like to see all parties actively take steps to reduce those tensions," Brownlee said.
He added, "As a small maritime trading nation, international law and, in particular, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is important for New Zealand. We support the arbitral process and believe that countries have the right to seek that international resolution."
New Zealand has expressed repeatedly said that they do not agree with China's move on the South China Sea, especially now that the country has already built landing strips and fake islands.
"A particular cause of . . . heightened tension has been the reclamation and construction activity and deployment of military assets in disputed areas," he said.
