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BEIJING. — A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson yesterday lambasted the G7 over comments insinuating China is at fault over tensions in the East and South China Seas.

“The remarks of the G7 fall far short of the facts and international justice,” said Hong Lei at a regular press briefing, referring to a declaration released on Monday, after a summit of the G7, which groups the industrialised nations Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States.

“We are concerned by tensions in the East and South China Seas. We underline the importance of peaceful dispute settlement as well as free and unimpeded lawful use of the world’s oceans,” the G7 leaders said in the statement.

“We strongly oppose the use of intimidation, coercion or force, as well as any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo, such as large scale land reclamation.”

Although they stopped short of mentioning any specific country, it is obvious that the Western countries were pointing fingers at China — the largest stakeholder in the South China Sea issue.

Hong said the international community have fair opinions on the rights and wrongs of the issues over the East and South China Seas, in which a number of countries hold competing claims of sovereignty.

China is committed to maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight in the East and South China Seas, and it will be the first to come out against any behaviour threatening navigational freedom in these waters, he said.

The spokesperson also reaffirmed China’s sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands and their affiliated islets in the East China Sea, as well as the Nansha Islands and adjacent waters in the South China Sea.

He said China’s land reclamation around islands and reefs of the Nansha Islands falls within its sove- reignty and no foreign countries should intervene. — Xinhua.