WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese ambassador to the United States Tuesday slammed a U.S. warship's sailing within 12 nautical miles of Chinese islands in South China Sea as a serious provocation that has exposed the absurdity and hypocrisy of the U.S. position on the South China Sea issue.
Cui Tiankai was reacting to the U.S. destroyer USS Lassen's intrusion earlier Tuesday. China has officially lodged a strong protest to the U.S. government over the provocative move.
崔天凯就美国军舰进入中国南沙群岛有关岛礁邻近海域阐明严正立场
新华社华盛顿１０月２７日电中国驻美国大使崔天凯２７日接受美国有线电视新闻网（ＣＮＮ）阿曼普栏目采访，就美国军舰进入中国南沙群岛有关岛礁邻近海域阐明中方严正立场。
"I think what the United States is doing is a very serious provocation politically and militarily," Cui said in an interview with the U.S. cable news network CNN.
"It's a clear attempt to escalate the situation and to militarize the region. So we're very concerned about that," said the veteran diplomat.
Cui criticized the United States for taking an "absurd and even hypocritical position" to ask others not to militarize the region while itself is sending military vessels there so frequently.
崔天凯指出，美方派军舰进入中国南沙群岛有关岛礁邻近海域的行为显然是严重的政治和军事挑衅，是试图使地区局势军事化和紧张升级的行为。中方和所有希望本地区稳定的人们都对此感到严重关切。
He strongly refuted the U.S. claim that it was exercising so-called freedom of navigation rights in the region, pointing out that the U.S. move was taken "in total disregard of the international law."
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea has clear provision about the safety of navigation, freedom of navigation and innocent transit, Cui said, noting the United States is not a party to the global treaty.
"What the U.S. is doing is totally against the provision, the letter and spirit of the convention," he said.
崔天凯表示，美方在南海问题上的立场是荒谬和虚伪的。一方面要求别人不要使地区局势军事化，另一方面自己却频繁派军舰军机前往这一地区。《联合国海洋法公约》对航行和飞越自由、安全和无害通过等都有明确规定。美国至今未加入该公约，所做所为明显与之相违背。
The Chinese envoy stressed that China has a long-standing sovereignty over the islands in the region and the waters surrounding them.
He was responding to the U.S. claim that it does not recognize the territorial rights of China's man-made land features in the South China Sea.
Cui said that, in view of the U.S. actions, China has to seriously think about beefing up its defense capabilities in the region.
"We have to make sure we have sufficient means to safeguard our sovereignty there, to protect our lawful rights there, and ... maintain peace and stability there, and nobody will have any more illusion that it could continue to provoke," he said.
Cui stressed that whatever is happening now will not change China's position on its sovereignty in the region or weaken its determination to safeguard its sovereignty and seek a peaceful solution to the territorial disputes with countries concerned.
"And it certainly will not weaken our position and commitment to developing a healthy and strong relationship with the United States. But this is a two-way track and we have to have reciprocal actions from the United States," he added.
崔天凯强调，中国在南海的主权和相关权利是在长期的历史过程中形成的，而非所谓岛礁建设后才有的。中方将确保有足够的手段来维护自身主权和合法权益，维护地区和平与稳定。无论谁都不应对继续挑衅抱有任何幻想。中方正在密切关注有关事态发展。但无论发生什么，都不会动摇我们在南海的主权权益，不会动摇我们维护自身主权的坚定意志，不会动摇我们同有关直接当事方和平解决争议的努力，也不会动摇我们与美国发展健康有力的双边关系的决心。但是这样一种关系需要双方努力，希望美方与中方相向而行。
