Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the ASEAN meetings.
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In the meeting on Wednesday, Kerry “reiterated his concern about rising tensions over disputed claims in the South China Sea and China’s large-scale reclamation, construction and militarization of features there”.
Ruan Zongze, a former Chinese diplomat with the China Institute of global Studies, a think-tank affiliated with the Foreign Ministry, said China and the United States would not allow the South China Sea spat to overshadow Xi’s trip.
China’s island-building spree in the South China Sea has come to a halt, according to its top diplomat.
Rosario has said any freeze on construction should not legitimize China’s recent work in the area.
Indonesia and Myanmar stated the precedence was to finalize the code of conduct. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the private meeting. And, he stated he couldn’t affirm Chinese protestation that it has stopped land reclamation tasks. Kerry yesterday also urged China and other claimant states to stop “problematic actions” and end land reclamation.
“Freedom of navigation and overflight are among the essential pillars of global maritime law”.
The communique, in an item directed at North Korea, called on concerned parties to refrain from “repeated ballistic missile launches” and for Pyongyang to work with China, the U.S., Japan, Russian Federation and South Korea to resume the long-stalled six-party talks aimed at the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
Disagreements have raised fears that a joint statement may not be issued.
The foreign minister underlined China’s complaints that the US and its partners are militarising the South China Sea by staging patrols and joint military drills.
US NavyThe aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), the guided-missile cruiser USS Chosin (CG 65), the guided-missile destroyers USS Sampson (DDG 102) and USS Pinkney (DDG 91), and the guided-missile frigate USS Rentz (FFG 46) operate in formation in the South China Sea.
With regard to the disputes over the Nansha Islands, Wang pointed out, “It is an old problem”.
China and ASEAN agreed to expedite Code of Conduct negotiations for the South China Sea.
Asean members often tread carefully with China since much of the region is heavily dependent on investment and trade with its northern neighbor, which claims sovereignty over about 80 percent of the sea according to a 1940s map.
Kerry said the U.S. would not accept restrictions on navigation or overflights of the disputed territories.
He underlined that China and the Southeast Asian grouping have enough capability and wisdom to solve the dispute between them, without interference from outside and a priority was to maintain peace. China has created 2,000 acres of land from its dredging efforts.
Japan has boosted security cooperation this year with some of the claimants at loggerheads with China, in particular the Philippines. You look, who is building?
But in making the statement, Wang Yi does say the general situation in the South China Sea remains stable, saying the possibility of a major conflict simply does not exist.
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