MoFA-Representations Made Following US-Japan-SK Criticism

(MNI) London - Wires carrying comments from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the criticisim of China at the tripartite summit involving the leaders of the US, Japan and South Korea at Camp David on August 18. States that 'China has lodged representations with relevant parties.'

• Thejoint statement issued after the summit referred to Chinese actions "regarding the dangerous and aggressive behavior supporting unlawful maritime claims that we have recently witnessed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the South China Sea, we strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the waters of the Indo-Pacific."
• NYT reports on heightened tensions in northeast Asia: "China has been holding joint military exercises with Russia, notably on Japan’s doorstep and near Alaska.[...] In a possible sign that tensions could escalate further in the region, Japan said on Friday that it scrambled fighter jets to track two Russian patrol aircraft seen flying between the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea, where Russia and China were holding joint naval exercises."
• Separately, Reuters reports that UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly is set to visit China by end-August. This would be the first British minister to visit China since then COP26 President Alok Sharma visited Tianjin in Sep 2021.