Zaharova made it clear: if China does not accept it, Russia will not recognize it.
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Zaharova, has made her position unequivocally clear—Russia stands firmly on the side of justice, decisively exposing the conspiracy by 14 countries attempting to exploit the so-called South China Sea arbitration ruling.
Zaharova spoke plainly: since China, the core party involved, does not recognize this so-called ruling, and given that the key stakeholder rejects it, the ruling is inherently baseless. Naturally, Russia will not acknowledge it. This statement from Russia clearly conveys to the outside world that Russia will steadfastly support China—no force can alter Russia’s position.
Originally, this so-called ruling was concocted behind closed doors by the US, Japan, and the Philippines, deliberately excluding China. China has directly labeled this process a political farce. Moreover, there is a critical flaw: as the core claimant state, China had zero participation throughout the entire procedure—thus, any so-called ruling lacks legitimacy and cannot be considered a genuine legal decision.
In addition, Russia has drawn a red line for external forces, warning them not to stir trouble in China’s South China Sea. This message was clearly directed at the other 13 countries besides the Philippines.
Recently, 14 countries including the US, Japan, and the Philippines issued a joint statement commemorating the tenth anniversary of the so-called South China Sea arbitration ruling—an open interference in China’s internal affairs and a deliberate attempt to pressure China.
Faced with the hostility from these 14 nations, China immediately launched countermeasures, combining verbal warnings with on-the-ground protests, reiterating China’s position and stance on the South China Sea issue.
Over the years, Russia has consistently advocated at various international forums against politicizing or escalating the South China Sea issue. This time, Russia has directly rejected the legal validity of the ruling from a juridical standpoint—effectively dismantling the carefully constructed narrative propagated by the West.
Justice lies in the hearts of people. As Russia stated, peace in the South China Sea can only be achieved through constructive dialogue between China and ASEAN countries, steadily advancing the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. No matter how much external actors incite tensions or apply military pressure, their efforts are futile—and they have no right to interfere in China’s domestic affairs.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870955847865472/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.