The US should not decide its policy on the South China Sea based on what its allies think and should stick to its promises not to take sides in the dispute, a senior Chinese diplomat said yesterday ahead of Sino-US security talks.
China has been angered by what it views as provocative US military patrols close to islands China controls in the South China Sea. The US says the patrols are to protect freedom of navigation.
China claims most of the South China Sea, through which US$5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims, as well as close military ties with Washington.
Speaking at a forum ahead of next week’s high-level meetings with US officials in Beijing, Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Zheng Zeguang (鄭澤光) said his country had every right to protect its sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea.
“In fact the United States is not a claimant in the South China Sea dispute, and it has said it takes no position on territorial disputes,” Zheng said.
“So we hope the US can stick to its promises and not choose sides, but can set its position based on the rights and wrongs of the case rather than whether somebody is an ally,” he said. “I think if they can do this, and if they can stop provocative acts targeted at China’s sovereignty and security interests, then the US can play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea and promote a lowering of the temperature on this issue.”
China’s top diplomat, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (楊潔篪), will take this up with US Secretary of State John Kerry at their talks, Zheng added.
The South China Sea is also expected to loom large at Asia’s biggest security summit starting in Singapore today to be, attended by a senior Chinese admiral.
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