RUSSIA, CAMBODIA SUPPORT CHINA ON SEA DISPUTES
The issue of the South China Sea was among the topics discussed during Li's meetings with his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, and his Cambodian counterpart, Samdech Techo Hun Sen.
Medvedev said Russia opposes internationalization of the South China Sea disputes or any interference from forces outside the region.
The Russian side supports the China-initiated principles of resolving the disputes, Medvedev said, calling for bilateral negotiations and consultations between directly relevant parties to solve the issue.
For his part, Hun Sen said Cambodia will continue to remain objective and impartial on the South China Sea issue.
Cambodia, he said, is willing to work with all parties to keep up the friendly cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China.
Li said China will stick to the approach of settling the South China Sea disputes via dialogues and consultations between countries directly concerned, while defending regional peace and stability as well as freedom of navigation in collaboration with ASEAN member states.
Earlier this week, a Hague-based ad hoc tribunal's arbitral denied China's long-standing historic rights in the South China Sea in an arbitration unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine administration. China has said the award is invalid and will neither accept nor recognize it.
So far, at least 70 countries and 230 political parties or organizations have expressed understanding and support for China's stance on the South China Sea disputes.
CHINA, JAPAN PMs MEET ON TROUBLED TIES
Li also met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the latter's request in Ulan Bator. The Chinese premier urged the Abe administration to take active and friendly policies towards China.
Li said China-Japan relations have in recent years embarked on a course of improvement, but the pace is slow and is from time to time disturbed by complications.
He urged both sides to keep a strong sense of responsibility, and steadily push ahead China-Japan ties on the basis of the reality and long-term strategic consideration.
Both sides should act on the consensus that China and Japan are cooperative partners instead of threats to each other, and support each other's peaceful development, he added.
The premier suggested the two countries resume dialogues and communications step by step in the spirit of equality and mutual respect, to add to the positive facets in bilateral ties.
Japan is not a state directly involved in the South China Sea issue, and thus should "exercise caution in its own words and deeds, and stop hyping up and interfering in" the issue, Li said. He called on both sides to step up exchanges on the East China Sea issue via dialogues and consultations in a bid to avoid misinterpretation and miscalculation.
For his part, Abe said despite existing difficulties in the relations between Japan and China, the Japanese side hopes to expand exchanges and cooperation with China, properly manage differences, and push forward bilateral ties in pursuit of a strategic, mutually beneficial relationship.
He hoped the two countries could resume high-level economic dialogues and facilitate bilateral cooperation in the fiscal and financial sectors, as well as in energy conservation and environment protection.
