Freedom of navigation in the South China Sea has never been affected by the territorial disputes there, said China’s Foreign Ministry, suggesting that US plans to expand its military presence in the region are inappropriate as Beijing has never thought of dominating any sea lane.
“Anyone objective can see that navigational freedom is fully guaranteed to every country in accordance with international law,” said ministry spokesman Liu Weimin at a daily press conference on Monday.
Liu also suggested the US back off from territorial disputes in the region as these “should be resolved via negotiations and consultations between countries directly concerned”.
“Hopefully, nations outside the area can respect the efforts of countries within the area to settle the disputes through bilateral negotiations, and avoid further involvement by any means,” he added.
China claims sovereignty over a number of islands in the South China Sea and its adjacent waters, bringing it into dispute with some countries, particularly Vietnam and the Philippines, which have similar claims.
Speaking at an Asian security forum in Singapore over the weekend, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Washington will shift a majority of its warships to the Asia-Pacific region by 2020.
The move is seen by many, not least Chinese officials, as an attempt to fence in China and frustrate Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.
“Deliberately hyping the issue of navigational freedom while messing with the sovereignty claims over some islands and reefs in the South China Sea as well as the demarcation of sea boundaries has led to suspicions that the US harbors some ulterior motives,” said Liu, referring to Panetta’s announcement.
But Liu also said Beijing hopes the United States could work together with the countries in the region, including China, for common security and build a more stable and prosperous Asia-Pacific through cooperation.
Source: The Jakarta Post