Japan’s dispute with China is over uninhabited islands controlled by Tokyo.
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United States military officials fear that China plans to build a bigger military base on Scarborough Shoal, which lies about 140 miles from the coast of the Philippines.
“We believe that this is a precursor to possible building of structures on the shoal”, spokesman Arsenio Andolong said, adding that China’s denial was “even more disturbing”. China has built seven such islands in the disputed, resource-rich sea, alarming neighbors and rival claimants, including the Philippines.
China has repeatedly blamed the United States for stirring up trouble in the South China Sea, a strategic waterway through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually.
No mention was made of a July ruling by a United Nations -backed arbitration tribunal denying Chinese claims in the South China Sea, following the pattern set at the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting convened after the decision.
Obama reportedly insisted that Beijing needs to “abide by its obligations” to an worldwide maritime treaty in the dispute and the Hague global arbitrary court ruling, while Xi maintained that China would continue to protect its sovereignty and maritime rights in the disputed waters.
China took control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012 after a standoff with the Philippine Navy, and has since deployed large fishing fleets while blocking Filipino fishermen.
Before a meeting of Asean leaders and China Wednesday, Duterte shook hands with Premier Li Keqiang. Beijing insists that it has sovereign rights to nearly all of the strategically vital waters, where the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims.
The Philippines and Singapore, which this year is Asean’s lead negotiator with China, raised the dispute during the meeting.
China’s Foreign Ministry said yesterday that there had been no change to the situation around Scarborough Shoal.
An image released by the Philippine Department of National Defense on September 7, 2016, shows a Chinese coast guard vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
Another major concern is it allows China a military base close to where USA forces regularly operate on the Philippine main island of Luzon.
“We will continue to work to ensure that disputes are resolved peacefully including in the South China Sea”, Obama said in his opening remarks at a meeting with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN.
Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino, was usually a vociferous critic of China at ASEAN meetings.
Expanding that presence with a military outpost is vital to achieving China’s ambitions of controlling the sea, security analysts said.
US President Barack Obama is also in Laos for the regional meetings, which will conclude on Thursday with an East Asia summit.
“We are gravely concerned”, he said. China has protested strongly against the ruling, and said it would not recognise it.
That has pitted it against the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, all members of ASEAN. In July, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that barring Filipinos from the shoal violated “traditional fishing rights” – but the Chinese did not budge.
Tensions over the disputed waters between China and its neighbours were expected to hang over the G20 summit, which opened in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou on Sunday.
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Mr Turnbull said on Monday he will be discussing how to deepen economic and security partnerships with ASEAN leaders, with the group of nations representing Australia’s second-largest trading partner.
