China refutes Japanese media's South China Sea related reports

BEIJING -- China on Friday refuted reports in Japanese media on the South China Sea, saying China is garnering support from more and more countries.

"The Japanese side has been attempting to form factions on the South China Sea issue and defame China. However, we need to listen to the official voice of the Kuwaiti government instead of the Kyodo News Agency," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang.

Lu made the remarks at a regular press briefing, in response to a report by Kyodo on Thursday, which said the prime ministers of Japan and Kuwait agreed that the security environment in East Asia has become increasingly severe because of China's unilateral attempt to alter the status quo in the East and South China seas.

A meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Kuwaiti counterpart Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah was held in Tokyo on Thursday.

Lu said senior officials of Kuwait attended the 7th Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum held in Doha on Thursday, which issued a statement saying that participating Arab countries support China's efforts to peacefully resolve territorial and maritime differences through dialogue and negotiation.

The Arab countries also agreed that the rights of sovereign nations as well as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea signatories to decide how they solve their disputes should be respected.

Lu said a report by Kyodo earlier this month saying Japan and Laos had reached a consensus on the South China Sea issue during their foreign ministers' meeting also did not reflect the stance of the Laotian government.

According to Lu, Venezuela and Mauritania have issued statements, calling for the settlement of the South China Sea issue through negotiation and consultation. The Gabonese Foreign Minister Emmanuel Issoze Ngondet also sent letter to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, supporting China's stance.

"China's stance is gaining understanding and support from more and more countries. The Doha statement and those countries' stance accord with international practice of dispute settlement through consultation and negotiation, manifesting the essence of the rule of international law and embodying the just and fair opinion of the international community," Lu said.