Ambassador: Russia will avoid interfering in South China Sea disputes

People's Daily Online

(People's Daily Online) 15:02, February 09, 2017

Russia will not interfere in disputes surrounding the South China Sea, and it warns other countries against doing so as well, Russian ambassador to China Andrey Denisov said.

According to Russian news outlet Sputnik, Denisov told reporters, "Our position regarding the territorial disputes in the South China Sea has not changed and cannot change. It cannot change as it is a balanced, verified and logical position... We are not interfering in these disputes and we are warning others against such interference."

He noted that any external interference will have a negative effect, as a third party is unable to maintain neutrality in specific regional disputes, and will only complicate the issue. The relationships between the countries in the region are more important than disputes. Countries should either solve the disputes or push the disputes to the periphery of their relationships so they do not exert negative influence.

Denisov said Russia is ready to help create a favorable atmosphere for solving such issues.