“Together with all parties, the Chinese side will make unremitting efforts for peace and stability of the South China Sea and promote common development and prosperity of countries in the region”, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.
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Aside from China, other Southeast Asian countries claiming ownership over the disputed islands are the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
Aquino’s comment referred specifically to a dispute with China over maritime territory, which Manila is bringing before an worldwide court.
China has held that disputes should be addressed by countries directly concerned through friendly consultations and negotiations in a peaceful way, and peace and stability in the South China Sea being jointly maintained by China and ASEAN countries.
China has claims over the 80 percent of the South China Sea.
Beijing is allegedly changing the Spratly archipelago by turning its reefs into artificial islands and also constructing airfields and other facilities on some of them.
“We adopted the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the 10th Anniversary of the EAS which focuses on strengthening the EAS as a leaders-led forum”, he told a press conference in concluding the 27th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits here on Sunday.
The Washington Free Beacon reported on Friday that the U.S. would send two warships on a similar operation to sail by another disputed island in the Spratlys, Mischief Reef.
The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering is meant to forge unity on trade among 21 Pacific rim economies that group three billion people.
The document expressed hope for the “expeditious establishment” of a code of conduct in the South China Sea, based on worldwide law, to restrict unilateral maritime forays like China’s.
Deputy Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin reiterated China’s position that its construction of artificial islands in the sea was created to “provide public service” to the region by helping ships and fishermen and disaster relief efforts.
“There has never been any problem with navigational freedom in the South China Sea”.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak opened the weekend series of meetings earlier on Saturday, calling on world leaders to confront Islamist extremism.
He said this also included military facilities to protect the islands and reefs, which are located far from mainland China.
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Hong was responding to media reports that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told US President Barack Obama on Thursday, on the sidelines of the APEC meeting in Manila, Philippines, that Japan is considering sending its Self-Defense Forces to join US patrols in the South China Sea.
