The US yesterday called on China and other rival claimants to exercise restraint when an international tribunal issues a landmark ruling on the South China Sea disputes that Beijing has chosen to ignore.
A senior US Department of State official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to Asian journalists through a teleconference, said the upcoming decision by the arbitration panel in The Hague might offer “a great deal of clarity” on the disputes and help the claimants forge an arrangement to avoid potential confrontations.
She said the decision, expected within weeks, could serve as a jumping off point to diplomatic talks.
“We would certainly call on all governments to exercise restraint and to use this post-arbitration period as an opportunity to restart those diplomatic discussions,” she said.
China has said it would not recognize any arbitration decision despite calls by several Asian and Western governments for it to respect international law.
In a harsh attack on US policies in Asia, the flagship newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party yesterday accused Washington of seeking to turn the South China Sea “into a powder keg” and warned it not to underestimate China’s determination to defend its territorial claims.
The People’s Daily cited recent combined exercises by two US Navy aircraft carrier strike groups off the coast of the Philippines as a sign of US hegemony and said Washington has made a mistake in seeking to intimidate China.
In making displays of military power aimed at China, the US has “picked the wrong counterpart,” the editorial said.
US military activity, including freedom of navigation cruises near China’s artificial islands and exercises with allies, is contributing to the militarization of the region, the editorial said.
In the 2013 case, the Philippines challenged the validity of China’s so-called nine-dash line claiming virtually the entire stretch of the South China Sea. Manila also asked the tribunal to rule whether several disputed areas are outcrops, reefs or islands and how much stretch of territorial waters they project.
The US official also expressed concern over China’s coast guard ships escorting Chinese fishing vessels in areas, including Indonesia’s Natuna Islands, saying Beijing was using its fishing fleets with armed escorts to bolster maritime claims in disputed territory.
“I think it’s a disturbing trend,” the official said.
Additional reporting by AFP
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