Foreign Ministry defends Chinese naval and research activities in the Pacific as lawful
中方是否计划在太平洋海底开采稀土？外交部回应
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated on August 6, 2026, that Chinese marine scientific research serves peaceful purposes and complies with international law. He was responding to a Bloomberg query about the survey vessel Xiangyanghong 6 operating near Japan's claimed EEZ around Minami-Torishima and the aircraft carrier Liaoning's presence in the area the previous year. Lin characterized China's defense policy as purely defensive and said naval movements conform to international law and custom.
The view from inside
The response frames China's expanding Pacific presence as a routine exercise of lawful rights. The phrase 防御性国防政策 (defensive national defense policy) is deployed to preempt any characterization of the Liaoning's…
Free. The read from inside China is the part we ask you to sign in for.