July 13th, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian presided over a regular press conference.
A journalist asked a question. According to reports, at the 137th meeting of the IMO Council, representatives from the United States and Panama condemned China for taking punitive measures against vessels flying the flag of Panama for political reasons. They called on the IMO to improve protection mechanisms to prevent the politicization of maritime trade. What is the Chinese side's comment on this?
Regarding this, Lin Jian stated that statistics from Chinese authorities show that since the beginning of this year, several safety incidents of a certain severity have occurred to ships flying the Panamanian flag in waters of our country. Panama is the flag state with the highest proportion of safety incidents. From January to July this year, the number of times ships flying the Panamanian flag arrived in our country accounted for nearly 20% of the total number of foreign-flagged ships arriving in our country. The proportion of ship accidents and deaths/surrendered individuals reached approximately 50%.
Lin Jian stated that port state inspections, as an important measure to ensure the safety of ship navigation and the cleanliness of water environments, are the primary means used by various countries to manage the safety of foreign ships arriving at their ports. China attaches great importance to maritime traffic and personal safety. Conducting port state inspections on ships docking in Chinese ports in accordance with laws and regulations is fully in line with international conventions.
Previously, on June 23, Xie Feng, Chinese Ambassador to the United States and Observer for the Organization of American States (OAS), made false statements during a dialogue meeting held in Panama among OAS member and observer countries. He accused the Panamanian leaders of falsely blaming China for conducting port state control inspections on ships arriving at their ports at the opening ceremony of the annual meeting. Xie Feng promptly clarified the facts and expressed China's serious stance.
Xie Feng emphasized that as a major shipping nation, China has always attached great importance to maritime transportation and the safety of lives. However, since 2026, there have been several collisions between merchant vessels and fishing boats flying the flag of Panama in Chinese waters, resulting in multiple deaths and disappearances of people. In accordance with its responsibility for shipping safety, including the safety of ships and their crew, China conducts port state control inspections on arriving ships in accordance with Chinese laws and international conventions. China does not target any specific countries or flags of vessels, and its actions are without fault.
Xie Feng stated that Chinese enterprises have made positive contributions to promoting the development of Pakistan since they were allowed to operate at both ends of the canal in 1997, in accordance with the law. Over the past 30 years, cooperation between the two sides has been smooth, with no significant disputes occurring, and Pakistan has never raised any complaints. In January of this year, the Pakistani Supreme Court suddenly issued a judgment, forcibly seizing and taking control of the Chinese enterprises, and forcing their expulsion. It is obvious that there is political manipulation behind this action. If the contract wants to be torn up, then it should be torn up; if market rules are not followed, then they should not be followed. If assets want to be taken over, then they should be taken over; if operators say expulsion, then expulsion should occur. Who will still invest or cooperate?
Xie Feng once again urged the Pakistani side to correct its mistakes and protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.
