External forces instigator undermining China's relations with countries in South China Sea region: report

BEIJING -- In recent years, external forces led by the United States have leveraged the South China Sea issue as a means to contain China, instigating claimant states to provoke China, according to a report released on Thursday.

The report, titled "Incitement, Threats, and Lies -- The Truth about External Forces Interfering in the South China Sea Issue," was released by Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency.

The report emphasizes that the United States and its allies have provided strategic counsel and support to claimant states such as the Philippines and Vietnam, in their provocations and confrontations against China.

A notable example highlighted in the report is the 2016 South China Sea arbitration case, which the report describes as a clear instance of Western advocacy of external interference in the South China Sea issue through multilateral mechanisms like arbitration.

Furthermore, the report mentions that the United States and its allies frequently conduct "freedom of navigation operations" and joint military drills in the South China Sea and its surrounding waters, while also using the issue as grounds for economic pressure on China.

The report also points to attempts by US-led Western nations to form exclusive regional blocs and pressure countries in the area to "take sides," placing significant external pressure on their normal foreign relations.

Additionally, the United States has sought to incorporate as many regional countries as possible into its containment strategy by promoting agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).

The report also emphasizes the attempts of the United States and its Western allies to reshape China's regional security environment by frequently meddling in the South China Sea issue, effectively turning it into a strategic chessboard for their "great power rivalry" against China.

This report is part of a series of three reports on South China Sea issue released by Xinhua Institute. The other two reports are titled "Historical and Legal Basis of China's Territorial Sovereignty and Maritime Rights in the South China Sea," and "Making the South China Sea a Sea of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation: China's Actions."