The head of French diplomacy, Catherine Colonna, today called on China to reduce tensions in the South China Sea and added that “the world does not need a new crisis”.
Beijing has stepped up military exercises in the strategically important Taiwan Strait, and China’s coast guard has been accused of harassing Philippine fishing boats in the disputed waters.
Australia also criticized Beijing last month for “unsafe and unprofessional” behavior at sea, saying one of its naval divers was injured by sonar pulses from a nearby Chinese warship.
“Of course we are concerned about what happened to the Australian Navy a few days ago, as well as what happened to the Philippines a few weeks ago,” Colonna told reporters in Canberra.
According to her, calm and stability must prevail across the Taiwan Strait, and the world certainly does not need another crisis.
The French minister called on China to reduce tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.
China should be free to continue its “economic rise,” but it must also meet international expectations such as respect for human rights, Colonna said, adding that her country will continue constructive cooperation with China because “there are encouraging signs.”
In November, Colonna was on an official visit to China.
