Wu Shengli's Keynote Speech at the Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of China’s Recovery of the Xisha and Nansha Islands
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E-mail China.org.cn, December 23, 2016
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Wu Shengli, CMC Member, Commander of Chinese PLA Navy |
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Comrades and Friends,
Today we get together at the Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of China’s Recovery of the Xisha and Nansha Islands to review the history, enlighten the present, cherish peace, and look forward into the future.
After the great victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, in accordance with the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, from November to December 1946, China dispatched four warships, Taiping, Yongxing, Zhongjian and Zhongye, under the command of Capt. Lin Zun, with government representatives and specialists on board, recovered the Xisha and Nansha Islands, which had been invaded by Japanese militarists, and held a solemn ceremony to proclaim that China resumed sovereignty over the Xisha and Nansha Islands. This event of great historical significance was witnessed by the whole world and remembered by the Chinese people forever. Here, on behalf of all the officers and sailors of the PLA Navy, I would like to pay high tribute to our nation’s forerunners who have made great historical contributions to the recovery of the Xisha and Nansha Islands, express our heartfelt gratitude to friends at home and overseas who always respect the claims of the Chinese government and concentrate their efforts on the peaceful development in the South China Sea, and extend our warm welcome to all the guests attending the commemoration.
The recovery of the Xisha and Nansha Islands is the effective restoration of China’s inherent territory. The Xisha and Nansha Islands have been China’s territory since ancient times. As early as in Han Dynasty, in the 2nd century B.C., depending on advanced shipbuilding and navigation technologies, Chinese people sailed in the South China Sea, discovered and named the Xisha and Nansha Islands. In Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, from the 4th century to the 8th century A.D., the Chinese people went fishing around the Xisha and Nansha Islands. Large amount of historical documents record in details the topographical features of the islands and reefs in the South China Sea, and have vivid description of these people’s production and living. Archaeological studies also have discovered inhabiting relics and living tools of them. In Song Dynasty, more than 1000 years ago, China already established administration on the Xisha and Nansha Islands, sent officials to perform administrative duty, and dispatched naval ships to patrol the South China Sea. In Ming Dynasty, more than 600 years ago, China authorized Qiongzhou of Guangdong province to administrate the Xisha and Nansha Islands. The Geng Lu Bu (The Manual of Sea Routes), passed on by Chinese fishermen from generation to generation, records their activities on the Xisha and Nansha Islands, such as building houses and temples, digging wells, farming and fishing. The China Sea Directory, published by the British Admiralty in 1868 depicts in details the production and living of Chinese fishermen on Nansha Islands. Even in 1909 of late Qing Dynasty, Li Zhun, the Commander of the Guangdong Fleet, led naval vessels to patrol the sea and land the islands. The historical records give hard evidence of China’s development and administration of the Xisha and Nansha Islands, and China’s sovereignty over these islands is indisputable.
The recovery of the Xisha and Nansha Islands is the major achievement during the anti-aggression war in China. China in modern history, as poor and weak, was bullied by big powers. Statistics show that, for over 100 years after the Opium War, the big powers had invaded China from the sea for more than 480 times, 84 of which were in large scale. As China lacked effective maritime defense, these invasions wreaked havoc on Chinese people and left the nation at stake. In 1933, France plotted the “Nine Isles Incident” and plundered these isles. Then Japan launched the full scale invasion of China and illegally seized some of the Xisha and Nansha Islands successively in March, 1939. Till now, on the Shanhu Island and Yongxing Island still stand blockhouses and buildings of the French and Japanese invaders. The recovery of the Xisha and Nansha Islands is a victorious act of China to defend national dignity, exercise territorial sovereignty, and uphold justice and peace. It is the major achievement of the victory of China’s Anti-Aggression War and the World Anti-Fascist War. Since ancient times, peace and stability have been the long cherished wish and common goal of mankind. The wealth of others should not be coveted and the territory of other country should not be occupied. Any aggression is doomed to fail. The Chinese government, the Chinese people and the PLA are determined and capable to safeguard the national sovereignty and security and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
The recovery of the Xisha and Nansha Islands is China’s firm maintenance of the postwar international order. The Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the UN Charters are the cornerstone of the postwar international order and the principles for maintaining peace and justice. The Cairo Declaration, issued by China, the United States, and the United Kingdom in December 1943, clearly demanded Japan to return all the territory illegally seized from China. The Potsdam Proclamation, issued by China, the United States, and the United Kingdom, prescribed that the terms of the Cairo Declaration must be implemented. On September 2, 1945, Japan signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender onboard USS Missouri. Thereafter, China accepted the surrender of Japanese invasion forces in Nanjing, and the surrender of Japanese forces occupying the Xisha and Nansha Islands on Hainan Island. These are all direct proof of China’s resumption of sovereignty over the Xisha and Nansha Islands by following the postwar order. The postwar international order was jointly established by the world anti-fascist forces, which demonstrated international justice and represented progress of human civilization. Whether in the past or at present, any international organization, government, or people, is obliged and responsible to maintain the postwar international order. It is also the utmost effort to safeguard the peace and development of human community.
The recovery of Xisha and Nansha Islands is China’s national declaration of safeguarding the sovereign rights and interests in the South China Sea. Soon after the recovery of Xisha and Nansha Islands, China sent troops to the islands, established administrative organizations, and started fishery and convoy protection. China also conducted precise survey and renaming of the islands and reefs, marked their locations on officially issued standard maps, meanwhile drew the dotted line in the South China Sea, and promulgated them through government documents to the whole world. These were the specific measures of China to claim sovereignty and exercise jurisdiction, which was widely recognized by the international community and can be found in relevant government documents and publications of multiple countries. National rights are rooted in national practice, and are constantly reaffirmed and reinforced through national declaration. The actions and measures taken by China after the recovery of the Xisha and Nansha Islands have laid a solid nomological foundation for her territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, which must be respected and safeguarded effectively.
Ladies and gentlemen, comrades and friends,
The South China Sea is an important space for social development of surrounding countries. Its peace and stability are closely related with the development and prosperity of these countries. The Chinese government always upholds the principle of “shelving differences and seeking joint exploitation on the basis of acknowledging China’s sovereignty”, and advocates handling disputes via negotiation, controlling disputes with rule mechanism, and achieving win-win results through mutually beneficial cooperation. Particularly, in recent years, Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, Chinese President, and Chairman of Central Military Commission, introduced a new security concept that emphasizes joint and comprehensive measures and cooperation in ensuring sustainable security, and adheres to a good-neighbor policy that advocates building relations with neighboring countries based on friendship, good faith, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness. China has maintained the peace and stability in the South China Sea with utmost sincerity. The construction in recent years on islands and reefs of the Nansha Islands is legitimate and justifiable as it is on China’s own territory. Apart from necessary defense facilities, the construction is more for civilian purpose to provide better public service products for the international community, including the surrounding countries, and to better fulfill the international commitment and obligations in maritime search and rescue, oceanic scientific research, weather report, environment protection, navigation safety, etc.
Navy is an important force in maintaining maritime security, protecting trade, responding to disasters at sea, and promoting exchanges and cooperation. The PLA Navy, in an open and cooperative manner, strengthens communication and exchanges with its counterparts and contributes continuous effort in enhancing strategic confidence and promoting friendship and cooperation by increasing high-level visits, port calls, joint patrol, joint exercises and training, and personnel exchange. The PLA Navy has been actively fulfilling China’s obligations and responsibilities. We have demonstrated our commitment in maintaining maritime security and fulfilling international obligations in counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and HADR actions, such as the search for the missing airliner MH370 of Malaysia, the emergency supply of fresh water for Maldives, the disaster relief in Philippines after the typhoon, the escort of vessels carrying chemical weapons out of Syria, the evacuation of overseas Chinese from Libya and Yemen, and medical service abroad. Advocating setting up rule mechanisms, the PLA Navy established a combined patrol mechanism in the Beibu Gulf with the Vietnamese Navy under the framework of consultation on the demarcation of Beibu Gulf, and played an active role in the endorsement of CUES at WPNS, providing Chinese wisdom in managing crisis and handling disputes at sea.
In order to ensure the peaceful development of countries surrounding the South China Sea, and give full play to the role of the navy, on the 70th anniversary of China’s recovery of the Xisha and Nansha Islands, I would like to give 4 proposals:
First, respecting history is the prerequisite to maintaining peace and stability and settling disagreement and disputes. To respect history, we must restore the historical facts, clarify the causes, and tell right from wrong. To respect history, we must uphold justice, observe the postwar order, and avoid repeating the disaster of war. To respect history, we must base on history, draw lessons from history, and find out solution to problems through consultation and negotiation, and maintain regional peace and stability.
Second, maintaining stability is the key to follow historical trends and boost regional prosperity. If any turbulence or war occurs in the South China Sea, the neighboring countries will be the victims who will suffer the most. We must insist on dialogues and consultations, and resolve conflicts and disputes through dialogue between countries directly involved. The peace and stability should be maintained with joint efforts of China and countries in the South China Sea. We strongly oppose any country out of the region to interfere in the issue of South China Sea, so as to prevent conflicts and disputes from becoming complicated, escalated, or internationalized. We must continue to control risks, improve and upgrade security rules and consultation mechanisms, execute CUES effectively, strongly oppose unprofessional and unsafe behaviors in the air and at sea, and avoid misunderstanding and misjudgment as well as accidental conflict. National sovereignty must be respected and the territorial sovereignty of littoral states is inviolable. We strongly oppose provoking and infringing upon the sovereign security of other countries and undermining the peace and stability of the South China Sea on the pretext of “freedom of navigation and over-flight”.
Third, enhancing mutual trust is the foundation to develop friendly relations and realize harmonious coexistence. To upgrade mutual trust, we should conduct frequent high-level visits, and promote continuously the confidence and consensus between naval leaders. To improve mutual trust, we should also enhance dialogues and consultations, establish exchange mechanism between naval strategic policy departments, solve maritime hot issues through thorough study, and explore measures of crisis management and security cooperation. To consolidate basis for mutual trust, we should strengthen contacts among officers and sailors, actively conduct reciprocal ship visits and exchange between frontline forces, and deepen understanding and friendship through interaction.
Fourth, deepening cooperation is an important way to achieve mutual benefit, win-win results, and common prosperity. We should strengthen security cooperation, enhance intelligence and information exchange and sharing, and jointly fight against piracy and maritime terrorism in order to maintain a good regional maritime order and security of the strategic line of communication. We should also strengthen joint exercises and training, expand the content and fields, and inovate means and measures, in order to upgrade joint maritime operations. We should strengthen professional exchange, and expand cooperation in submarine rescue, hydrographic survey, hydrometeorology, and military medicine, etc. We should establish a perfect emergency response mechanism for maritime search and rescue and disaster relief in order to improve our capability to cope with non-traditional security threat.
Ladies and gentlemen, comrades and friends:
Precisely grasping the domestic and international situation and following the cooperative trends in regional and world development, President Xi Jinping proposed creatively the Belt and Road Initiative, which meets the needs of countries and regions along the route and is widely recognized and supported by countries in the world including those in the South China Sea. The history is the best textbook and the best revelation. Let’s keep in mind this solemn historic moment when China recovered Xisha and Nansha Islands 70 years ago, seize the day and forge ahead, seek common development, and make progress together in order to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.
ADM Wu Shengli, CMC Member, Commander of Chinese PLA Navy
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