近年來，南海問題成為國際地區的熱點和焦點。南海問題的核心是20世紀70年代以來，菲律賓等國違反《聯合國憲章》和國際關系基本準則，陸續非法侵占中國南沙群島的部分島礁而引起的領土問題，以及隨著新海洋法制度建立和發展產生的海洋劃界問題。

2013年的1月，菲律賓單方面提起并執意推進南海仲裁案。對此，中國政府堅持不接受，不參與。中菲已就通過雙方談判解決南海有關爭議達成協議，已排除將《聯合國海洋法公約》規定的強制爭端解決程序適用于中菲南海有關爭議。因此對于中菲的有關爭議，仲裁庭沒有管轄權。這一仲裁案自始就是非法的，無論結果如何，中國都不會接受和承認裁決。

在中國政府堅決表態的同時，國防部長常萬全、中央軍委聯合參謀部副參謀長孫建國、國際軍事合作辦公室主任關友飛，以及國防部發言人均對南海相關問題做出過很霸氣的回應。

國防部長常萬全：
Chang Wanquan,Defense Minister:

南海問題事關中方核心利益。任何人要侵犯中國的主權和相關權益，中國人民、中國軍隊都不會答應。
The issue of the South China Sea concerns China's core interest and the Chinese people and military will not allow anyone to infringe on China's sovereignty and related interests.

中央軍委聯合參謀部副參謀長孫建國上將：
Admiral Sun Jianguo, Deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department at the Central Military Commission:

我們不惹事，也不怕事。中國不會吞下苦果、惡果，不會允許自己的主權和安全利益受到侵犯。
We do not make trouble, but we have no fear of trouble. China will not bear the consequences, nor will it allow any infringement on its sovereignty and security interest.

我們不會坐視少數國家在南海搗亂。
We will not sit by and see several countries throwing the South China Sea into chaos.

非當事國不要為一己私利執意破壞我們走這條路。
Countries that are not involved are not expected to act out of selfish interests and deliberately damage this path.

中央軍委國際軍事合作辦公室主任關友飛少將：
Rear Admira Guan Youfei, director of the foreign affairs office of the Central Military Commission:

因為領土和主權不屬于仲裁管轄范圍，我們認為這個仲裁是不合法的。因此，我們不參與，不接受。
Because the territorial and sovereignty disputes have not been subjected to the arbitration, we think the arbitration is illegal. Therefore, we do not participate in it nor accept it.

國防部新聞發言人吳謙上校：
Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China

美方很喜歡拿“航行自由”說事，擺出一副為世界和平操碎了心的樣子。但事實上，南海的航行自由不存在問題，反而是美方所謂的“航行自由”行動攪亂了南海局勢，破壞了地區穩定，損害了沿岸國家的安全利益。“航行自由”已經成為美方插手南海爭議的一個借口。
The U.S. side likes playing the concept of “freedom of navigation” and branding itself as a country who is most concerned about world peace. But the fact is that freedom of navigation in the South China Sea has never been a problem. On the contrary, it is the so-called “freedom of navigation” operations of the U.S. that have plunged the situation in the South China Sea into disorder, undermined regional stability and harmed the security interests of littoral states. “Freedom of navigation” has become an excuse for the U.S. to interfere in the disputes in the South China Sea.

國防部新聞局局長、國防部新聞發言人楊宇軍大校：
Senior Colonel Yang Yujun, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China

劃設防空識別區是主權國家的權利，在這個方面，不需要其他國家指手劃腳。
To set up an Air Defense Identification Zone(ADIZ) is the right of a sovereign state and we don’t need other countries to make suggestions.

美軍艦機長期以來對華進行大范圍、高頻度的抵近偵察，才是危及中美海空軍事安全、引發海空意外事件的根源。中方要求美方立即停止有關抵近偵察活動，避免此類事件再次發生。
The root cause for security hazards and potential accidents in the air and at sea between China and the US is the long term, large-scale and frequent close-in reconnaissance activities against China by the U.S. military vessels and aircraft. China urges the US to stop the close-in reconnaissance activities to avoid such incidents from happening again.

美軍艦機未經允許非法進入中國南沙島礁鄰近海域是嚴重的挑釁行為。我們不禁要問，美方究竟要在推動南海軍事化的道路上走多遠？究竟要在破壞南海和平穩定的道路上走多遠？
The unauthorized illegal entry into Chinese waters near China's Nansha islands by the U.S. warships and warplanes is a serious provocation. We cannot help but ask how far the U.S. tries to go on the way of pushing forward militarization of the South China Sea and undermining the peace and stability in that region.

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen）