Sunday, November 22, 2015

USA guilty of 'political provocation' in S China Sea: China

From The News Telegraph (Nov 22): USA guilty of 'political provocation' in S China Sea: China



In his intervention at the ASEAN Plenary, Aquino said stability in the region has come under threat by the massive reclamation activities in the disputed Spratly islands.

Reacting to Abe, Wong Hei, China's foreign ministry spokesperson, said, "China will be vigilant against Japan's interference in the South China Sea issue, its military return to the South China Sea in particular".

Beijing continues to insist that there is no problem with freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

China sharply objected to the patrol, calling it an "illegal" incursion into its waters and urged the U.S.to refrain from taking a provocative steps.

With the waterway a crucial trade passage, he said freedom of navigation and peace and security of the area are crucial to China's economic expansion.

Asia-Pacific leaders opened a final summit Sunday with attention expected to swing back to the maritime standoff in the South China Sea, closing a marathon week of diplomacy largely overshadowed by the recent jihadist attacks.

"It has been 13 years since the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea forged our collective commitment to address disputes peacefully and with good will. We should not wait any longer to establish the Code of Conduct and reinforce, without ambiguity or reservation, our political will with respect to the issue", Aquino said.

On Wednesday in Manila, US President Barack Obama made the same call for China to stop its land reclamation. "We believe it does", the President said. "We stress the importance of resolving disputes through peaceful means, in accordance with global laws including UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)".

Beijing's buildup has created tension between China and several of its neighbors, including the Philippines and Vietnam.

The South China Sea quarrel comes after similar tensions during the APEC summit in Manila, which took place just before the ASEAN summit. While attending the APEC event in the Philippines, U.S. President Obama toured the Philippine Navy's flagship BRP Gregorio del Pilar - another show of support over regional naval disputes.

 Kuala Lumpur is also playing host to a number of other meetings this weekend.

At a separate news conference, Obama said the issue was a "key topic" at the summit of 18 countries that included China, as well as at a separate summit he had with leaders of 10 Southeast Asian countries.

Countries with large populations of Muslims, including Russia, should unite to fight Islamic State, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said, after Islamist militants killed 19 people, including six Russians, in an attack on a luxury hotel in Mali.

"In practice, we have virtually eliminated tariff barriers between us", said Najib, the summit host.

http://thenewstelegraph.com/2015/11/22/us-usa-guilty-of-political-provocation-in-s-china-sea-china/

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