U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry raised the South China Sea dispute at the annul event and urged China to find a diplomatic solution to the impasse.
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Amid deepening USA concern that China is militarizing the South China Sea, Kerry said he would “make it clear that we are looking for a peaceful resolution to the disputes”.
USA firms feel increasingly unwelcome in China, top American officials said Tuesday, as disagreements overshadowed an annual dialogue in Beijing.
Gregory Poling, director of Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the U.S. Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said China would not risk an escalation if it knew the United States would try to deter its actions on Scarborough Shoal. “China will not bear the consequences, nor will it allow any infringement upon its sovereignty and security interests or stay indifferent to the irresponsible behavior of some countries in and around the South China Sea”.
He said China and the USA shouldn’t fear disagreements.
Describing the differences between two countries as normal, Xi stressed that China and the USA should strengthen their communication and cooperation on Asia-Pacific affairs.
A major US concern is China’s reclamation activities in the South China Sea, a body of water rich in fish and potential gas and oil reserves that is disputed with parties such as the Philippines and Vietnam.
“What is important is to refrain from taking differences as excuses for confrontation”, Xi said.
Wu also said that Carter’s comment seems more like “a self amusement” due to US frustration over China’s increasing security exchanges with Asian countries.
The US side is also expected to press China to reduce excess production capacity which, particularly in the steel sector, poses an increasing threat to world economies.
But the practice of American warships trolling the South China Sea in various shows of force was a lackluster strategy to check Beijing militarily. “It may well be the most consequential bilateral relationship of nations in the world”. China has said it would not recognize the global court’s ruling over its territorial claim in the South China Sea. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims, as well as close military ties with Washington.
“The United States continues to send mixed messages through its [Freedom of Navigation Operations] program, which was created to maintain freedom of the seas”, said The Heritage Foundation’s Mr. Cheng.
“China respects and protects the right that all countries enjoy under worldwide law to freedom of navigation and overflight”, Yang told reporters.
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The Philippines is hoping for a favourable ruling from a tribunal in The Hague this month after it went to court in 2013 seeking clarification on its economic entitlements in the South China Sea.
