Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said on Wednesday that no matter how the situation changes, Belgium is willing to remain a friend of China and will continue to deepen cooperation with China with a positive and constructive attitude.

Prevot made the remarks during his talks with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, stressing that China is the most important trading partner of Belgium and the high-quality development of bilateral ties has yielded fruitful outcomes.

For his part, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China and Belgium have maintained a relationship of mutual respect and trust, and established an all-round partnership of friendly cooperation, which serves as a pillar of stability in the China-EU relations.

Under the current circumstances, it is all the more important for China and the EU to strengthen face-to-face exchanges, enhance mutual trust, and dispel misunderstandings, Wang noted.

He expressed the hope that the new Belgian government will continue to build bridges of dialogue, understanding, and cooperation between China and the EU.

In addition, Wang said China is accelerating the development of a new pattern of high-level opening-up, with lower market access thresholds and more measures to facilitate personnel exchanges between China and Belgium.

Highlighting the fact that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, Wang noted that China supports the European integration and hopes that the EU will view China's development and revitalization in a positive and friendly way, and pursue a rational and pragmatic policy toward China.

In the face of a changing and turbulent international landscape, China looks forward to enhancing strategic communication and collaboration with the EU to jointly uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, safeguard the international free trade system, and defend international fairness and justice.

In their talks, Prevot also expressed appreciation for China's visa-free policy for Belgian citizens and voiced hope for strengthening cultural and people-to-people exchanges with China.

Prevot reaffirmed Belgium's adherence to the one-China policy, stressing that Taiwan is part of China.

On EU-China ties, Prevot emphasized that amid the current complex and tense geopolitical situation, both the EU and China uphold multilateralism and safeguard international law, expressing the hope that the two sides will take the next EU-China leaders' meeting as an opportunity to enhance communication and cooperation to jointly address challenges.

The two leaders also exchanged views on hotspot issues of common concern.

China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Geng Shuang delivered a speech at the 35th Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in which he criticized the US as an opportunist exploiting UNCLOS rules and a disruptor of the international maritime order, according to a statement on the website of Permanent Mission of China to the UN. 

While the international community is jointly promoting multilateralism and working to strengthen global ocean governance, certain countries are going against the tide by pursuing unilateral hegemony and standing in opposition to international cooperation and fairness, Geng noted. "That country," he said, "is the US."

The US is an opportunist abusing the rules of UNCLOS, Geng said. Despite never joining the Convention, the US frequently invokes its provisions, pointing fingers at other countries' compliance and claiming rights such as exclusive economic zones and continental shelves beyond 200 nautical miles based on the Convention. 

In essence, the US seeks to enjoy the institutional benefits of UNCLOS without assuming its responsibilities, he said. 

The US is a disruptor of international maritime order, Geng continued. According to UNCLOS, the international seabed and its resources are the common heritage of humankind. Yet the US disregards collective international efforts within the framework of the International Seabed Authority and proceeds with unilateral development.

While the laying of undersea cables is one of the six freedoms of the high seas under UNCLOS, the US politicizes the issue, launching an exclusive joint statement on undersea cables and attempting to form small cliques centered on itself. Moreover, it has threatened the normal operation of critical international waterways such as the Panama and Suez canals in an attempt to control strategic sea lanes, Geng said. 

The US is absent from global ocean governance, Geng noted. The US openly opposes the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its ocean-related goals. It has shown a negative attitude toward the political declaration of the UN Ocean Conference and failed to send an official delegation to the Nice Ocean Summit, Geng said. 

Although it signed the agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ), it refuses to participate in the preparatory committee's work and has taken a negative, regressive stance toward the accord, the Chinese envoy said. 

The US is a destabilizing force in the South China Sea, Geng said. Although located far from the region, the US misinterprets UNCLOS and frequently dispatches warships to the South China Sea under the pretext of "freedom of navigation," infringing on other countries' sovereignty and security. 

It ignores the overall stability of the South China Sea achieved through joint efforts by China and ASEAN countries, instead sowing discord and undermining mutual trust, interfering in regional efforts to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation, he said. 

Geng noted that the world sees clearly the US' utilitarian attitude toward UNCLOS and its hegemonic behavior in maritime affairs. China urges the US to seriously reflect and correct its conduct, and to play a constructive role in strengthening global ocean governance.

As a party to UNCLOS, China consistently upholds the spirit of the Convention, fulfills its obligations, and firmly defends the Convention's integrity, effectiveness, and authority, Geng said. China opposes violations, selective application, or abuse of the Convention's dispute settlement mechanisms.

He called on all countries to uphold multilateralism, implement sustainable development goals, safeguard international law including UNCLOS, and work together to build a maritime community with a shared future.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson announces:

At the invitation of High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU Kaja Kallas, Federal Foreign Minister of Germany Johann Wadephul and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Noël Barrot, from June 30 to July 6, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi will visit the EU Headquarters and hold the 13th round of China-EU High-level Strategic Dialogue, visit Germany and hold the eighth round of China-Germany Strategic Dialogue on Diplomacy and Security, and visit France for talks with the French Foreign Minister and the meeting of the China-France high-level dialogue mechanism on people-to-people exchanges. While in Brussels, Wang Yi will meet and have talks with Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot respectively.