Australian, Chinese envoy to India involved in Twitter battle over South China Sea claims

NEW DELHI: Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O ‘Farrell had sparked exchanges on Twitter with Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidong on Friday over Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea region and rule-based rules. This is the first time that representatives of the two high-profile nations have engaged in a war of words in India, despite ideological differences between countries and the bloc. However, Chinese diplomats have recently been active in Europe and parts of Asia criticizing host countries on social media.

Sun reacted harshly to O ‘Farrell’s statement during his meeting with Foreign Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi on Thursday. O’Farrell had said: “Australia remains deeply concerned by actions in the South China Sea that are destabilizing and could provoke escalation. On July 23, Australia submitted a note to the UN Secretary-General rejecting the illegal claims of China in the South China Sea It rejects China ‘s claim to historical and inland waters, its claim to certain maritime areas and its claims there is a wide international recognition of its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea. South China “.

Reacting to this, Sun made a message on Twitter on Friday: “Remarks observed by Australian HP in India on #SouthChinaSea disregarding facts. # China’s territorial sovereignty and China’s maritime rights and interests are in line with international law, “including Unclos. It’s clear who is defending peace and stability and who is destabilizing and provoking escalation in the region.”

The Australian envoy replied: “Thank you @China_Amb_India. I would hope you then follow the South China Sea Arbitration Warding 2016 which is final and binding under international law and also generally refrain from actions that change unilaterally of the status quo. ”

Australia-China ties have fallen sharply since the Covid-19 explosion, over a host of issues including the origins of pandemic and cyber attacks. At the same time, the Australia-India strategic partnership has grown through a pact of mutual logistics services for the navies.

Twitter attacks are not new to the Sun. Exactly one week ago, the Sun criticized the British High Commissioner to India, Philip Barton, for his remarks that China ‘s actions, including imposing a national security law on Hong Kong and blocking its borders with India, posed a challenge to the world. and Britain would work with partners to invoke violations of international law. Barton had added that the blockade of the India-China border was a bilateral issue in which the UK had no desire to relate to it. That did not stop Sun from reiterating that it was a bilateral issue that did not require “third party intervention”.

But this was not the first time the Sun took to Twitter to oppose his counterpart. Exactly one week ago, the Sun withdrew its British counterpart Philip Barton after his remarks about the Sino-Indian blockade stressing that it was a bilateral issue that did not require third party intervention

Interestingly what was the first time for a Chinese envoy to India the Sun chose to react after Barton had said that China’s actions around the globe, including imposing a national security law on Hong Kong and blocking the border with India , posed a challenge to the world community and Britain will work with partners to call for violations of international law.

But the British High Commissioner had also clarified that the blockade of the India-China border was a bilateral issue that the UK had no desire to relate to.

Noting the Sun said, the remarks made regarding #China by the British High Commissioner to India, mixed with mistakes and false claims. The border question falls within the bilateral scope [between] #Kina & #India. We have the wisdom and ability to handle differences properly. There is no need for third party intervention.

He further on Twitter, The real challenges in #SouthChinaSea come from powers outside the region fomenting territorial and maritime disputes and undermining regional peace and stability. In #HongKong cases, #Chinas HK does not allow foreign interference.

Barton during a virtual press conference on July 24 had questioned China’s actions in the former British colony of Hong Kong and the South China Sea. There are challenges all over the world for all kinds of Chinese actions, for us Hong Kong in particular is a focus, clearly for India the LAC is a special focus, he had said.

These have to do with things and our hope would be that there could be devaluation, and tensions seem to have eased over the past week or two after the tragic loss of life, he had said about the LAC situation.