China stresses ‘unshakeable’ resolve to protect peace, stability in South China Sea

March 8, 2018 - 11:56 AM
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A Chinese national flag flutters in Tiananmen Square. (Reuters)

BEIJING — China’s resolve to protect peace and stability in the South China Sea is unshakeable, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday.

Speaking on the sidelines of an annual meeting of China’s parliament, Wang said some outside forces were trying to muddy the waters in the disputed region.

China has repeatedly accused countries outside the region — generally a reference to the United States and Japan — of trying to provoke trouble in the South China Sea while China and its neighbors are trying to resolve the matter through diplomacy.