Q: It has been reported that Turkey recently claimed that due to the failure of the Greek side to fulfill the demilitarization obligation stipulated in the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the 1947 Treaty of Paris, the sovereignty of the East Aegean islands could be brought into question. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has announced to facilitate discussions on the sovereignty of these islands among the signatories of these Treaties. What comments does the Chinese side have in this regard?

A:  The Chinese side holds that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected and protected. This is the principle position consistently upheld by China. The escalation of tensions in the East Mediterranean does not serve the interests of any party concerned. It is hoped that relevant parties should engage in dialogues and negotiations to settle the disputes and refrain from actions which will escalate the tensions, so as to jointly safeguard the peace and stability of the East Mediterranean region.