China slams ASEAN chief for criticising its SCS policy

BEIJING: China today sharply criticised ASEAN chief Le Luong Minh for his comments on the disputed South China Sea and his rejection of China's claims based on the so-called nine-dash line, terming his remarks as biased.

"Minh has repeatedly made biased comments on the issue of the South China Sea, which were untrue and incompatible with his capacity as ASEAN secretary-general," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said at a media briefing here today.

Minh is a Vietnamese politician and a diplomat who questioned China's claims over the South China Sea (SCS), drawing ire from Beijing.

China claims sovereignty over almost all of the SCS which are contested by Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia, all of which are the members of the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations).

In an interview with the Manila Times, Le Luong Minh said China's nine-dash line policy was "not binding". He also said China's expansion and "illegal occupation" of islands affected the status quo and complicated the situation.

"China has abundant historical and legal evidence in its sovereignty and claims in the South China Sea," Hong said, adding Beijing's position on the issue was clear and consistent.

China supports the building of ASEAN community, Hong said. However, ASEAN is not a concerned party in the South China Sea dispute, he added.

"ASEAN belongs to the ASEAN family not a certain country," he said, adding that Le's comments had damaged ASEAN's image as a regional organisation.

"We advise Le Luong Minh do his part as ASEAN secretary-general, stick to ASEAN's neutrality on the South China Sea issue, and do more to promote the healthy development of China-ASEAN relations," Hong said.