China delivered a sharp and combative speech at the United Nations on December 8, defending its South China Sea claims and striking back at countries it accused of distorting the issue, especially the Philippines.
China's Hard Line at the United Nations
Chinese Ambassador to the UN, Sun Lei, declared that the UN was “not the right place” to discuss South China Sea disputes. Yet he immediately launched into a forceful tirade of what he called “false remarks” by multiple states.
Sun reiterated Beijing’s claim of full sovereignty over the Spratly Islands, directly dismissing a 2016 legal ruling in favor of the Philippines as nothing more than a “political farce dressed up as law.” He insisted that China will never recognize any argument, policy, or action based on the ruling.
Sun then shifted blame toward the United States, accusing Washington of fueling regional instability through military deployments and selective
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