中国、日米比首脳会談を非難 南シナ海での活動は「合法的」

【北京ＡＦＰ＝時事】中国政府は１２日、米ワシントンで開催された前日の日米比首脳会談を非難し、南シナ海における自国の活動は「合法的」だと主張した。（写真は、初の日米比首脳会談へ向かう〈左から〉フィリピンのフェルディナンド・マルコス大統領、ジョー・バイデン米大統領、岸田文雄首相。米ホワイトハウスで）
　中国外務省の毛寧報道官は定例会見で、「中国は関連各国によるブロック政治の操作、他国に対する挑発や対抗計画、他国の戦略的安全保障や利益を損なういかなる行動にも断固反対する」と述べた。
　初となる日米比首脳会談は１１日、領有権争いが続く南シナ海で中国とフィリピンの船舶が衝突を繰り返し、紛争拡大の恐れが強まる中で行われた。この席でジョー・バイデン米大統領は、南シナ海でのいかなる攻撃からもフィリピンを防衛することを約束した。
　毛報道官は「域内の他の国々を排除するような閉鎖的な集団の関与も断固反対する」とも批判。「日本とフィリピンはもちろん他の国々と正常な関係を築くことができるが、この地域に派閥的対立を招き入れるべきではない」と米国をけん制。「これが中国に対する理不尽な中傷や攻撃でないとしたら、いったい何なのか？」と強く非難した。
　中国はフィリピンを含む東南アジア諸国の主張を無視し、南シナ海ほぼ全域の領有権を主張している。毛報道官は「東シナ海と南シナ海における中国の行動は適切かつ合法的であり、非難されるいわれはない」とも付け加えた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/04/12-19:12）

Beijing on Friday criticised the United States, Japan and the Philippines and defended its actions in the South China Sea as lawful after US President Joe Biden hosted a trilateral meeting in Washington.
Biden on Thursday pledged to defend the Philippines from any attack in the South China Sea at the White House summit, which came amid repeated confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the disputed waterway that have raised fears of wider conflict.
A joint statement issued by the leaders of the trio of nations voiced serious concern over Beijing's actions in the South China Sea, slamming its behaviour as dangerous and aggressive.
Beijing claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, brushing aside competing claims from several Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines.
On Friday China hit out at the joint summit in Washington, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning saying Beijing firmly opposes the relevant countries manipulating bloc politics, and firmly opposes any behaviour that provokes or lays plans for opposition, and hurts other countries' strategic security and interests.
We firmly oppose engaging in closed cliques that exclude others in the region, Mao told a regular press conference.
Japan and the Philippines can of course develop normal relations with other countries, but they should not invite factional opposition into the region, much less engage in trilateral cooperation at the cost of hurting another country's interests.
If these are not wanton smears and attacks on China, what are they? she said.
China's actions in the East China Sea and South China Sea are appropriate and lawful, and beyond reproach, Mao added.
- 'Ironclad' -
On Thursday Biden told Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida that the United States' defence commitments to Japan and to the Philippines are ironclad.
As they met around a horseshoe-shaped wooden table in the grand East Room of the US presidential residence, the US, Japanese and Philippine leaders hailed the meeting as historic.
Without mentioning China by name, they painted their alliance as a bedrock of peace and democracy in the Asia-Pacific region in contrast to authoritarian Beijing.
Marcos, seen as closer to Washington than his more China-leaning predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, said they shared an unwavering commitment to the rules-based international order.
Kishida said that multi-layered cooperation is essential and that today's meeting will make history.
Biden, 81, also held separate talks with Marcos, 66, the son and namesake of the country's former dictator.
- 'Purely defensive' -
The joint summit came a day after Biden hosted a lavish state visit for Japan's Kishida during which he unveiled a historic upgrade in defence ties aimed at countering a resurgent China.
Kishida gave a joint address to Congress in which he urged Americans to overcome self-doubt about their role as a global power.
This time directly warning of risks from the rise of China, Kishida said that Japan -- stripped of its right to a military after World War II -- was determined to do more to share responsibility with its ally the United States.
The United States, Japan and the Philippines are expected to announce new joint naval exercises along with Australia, similar to drills they had in the region at the weekend, officials said.
They are also set to unveil new economic cooperation measures.
The United States has a mutual defence pact with Manila but there are fears it could be put to the test, with tensions becoming particularly acute around the Second Thomas Shoal, a remote reef in the Spratly Islands.
Japan and the Philippines are the latest Asia-Pacific allies to be hosted by Biden, who was joined by Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David in August.
But Biden has also moved to manage tensions with China, holding a two-hour phone call with President Xi Jinping last week following a face-to-face meeting in San Francisco in November.
On Wednesday Biden said the major upgrade in defence ties with Japan was purely defensive and not aimed at any one nation or a threat to the region.