Foreign Ministry of China spokesperson Hong Lei on regular press conference onNovember 20, 2015
China will be vigilant against Japan’s interference in the South China Sea issue, its militaryreturn to the South China Sea in particular, said Foreign Ministry of China’s spokespersonHong Lei during the regular press conference on November 20, 2015.
He was asked to comment on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s statement that Tokyowould consider dispatching its Self-Defense Forces to patrol the South China Sea.
“There has never been any problem with navigation freedom in the South China Sea.Meanwhile, China firmly opposes actions that threaten other country’s sovereignty andsecurity and move the region further towards militarization under the name of navigationand overflight freedom,” answered Hong Lei.
“Japan once occupied China's islands in the South China Sea during the Second World War.After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the WorldAnti-Fascist War, China recovered these islands. Japan should remember and reflect uponhistory,” he added.
