Full coverage: The South China Sea Issue
BEIJING, June 29 (Xinhua) -- China appreciates the "fair and objective" position of Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) on the South China Sea issue, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.
Fishing boats berth at a whart in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, May 16, 2016. China banned fishing from May 16 to Aug. 1 in the South China Sea, a measure taken for the 18th consecutive year. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)
Ruling Cambodian People's Party President and Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen announced on Tuesday that the CPP would not back the arbitration court's upcoming decision over the South China Sea, saying that the party saw the upcoming decision as "the worst political collusion under the framework of international politics."
The prime minister warned that the efforts of some countries outside the region to mobilize forces against China would bring negative impacts to ASEAN and peace in the region.
The Cambodian side's position is fair and objective, spokesperson Hong Lei said, noting that the attempt by some countries to use the arbitration to stir up trouble between China and ASEAN and undermine regional peace and stability is doomed to fail.
In 2013, the Philippines unilaterally filed compulsory arbitration against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague with respect to the two sides' disputes in the South China Sea. The Chinese government has reiterated its non-acceptance and non-participation stance in the case.