On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States would consider any Chinese establishment of an air defense zone over the South China Sea to be a “provocative and destabilizing act”.
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-China High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange is held in Beijing, capital of China, June 6, 2016.
China claims almost all of the sea despite competing declarations by several Southeast Asian neighbours and has built artificial islands suitable for military use in the South China Sea.
“China hopes the US will scrupulously abide by its promise to not take sides in relevant territorial disputes and play a constructive role in safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea”, Yang said. An airstrip there would add to China’s network of runways and surveillance sites that U.S. Pacific Command chief Harry Harris previous year said would create “a mechanism by which China would have de facto control over the South China Sea in any scenario short of war”.
“We also believe other countries concerned have the same wisdom and the patience to walk on the path of peace along with China”, he said. “We do not make trouble but we have no fear of trouble”, Sun said in prepared remarks.
Numerous countries have rival, overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea. The U.S., meanwhile, has expressed fears that Beijing’s buildup of airstrips on artificial islands it has built on once-submerged reefs could impede freedom of navigation in the area.
Tensions mounted after the South China Morning Post reported last week Beijing could establish an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) over the sea – which would require civilian aircraft to identify themselves to military controllers.
“We can’t instruct businesses to do something”, Lou said.
Manila says China took effective control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012, stationing patrol vessels and shooing away Filipino fishermen.
As long as the two sides tackle differences and sensitive issues in the principle of mutual respect and equality, major disturbances in bilateral relations can be avoided, Xi said, adding that China and the United States should strengthen communication and cooperation on Asia-Pacific affairs.
“We witnessed record highs in trade and two-way investment, enjoyed closer people-to-people and sub-national exchanges, and made new headway in cooperation in cyberspace, law enforcement and military-to-military exchanges”.
During the meeting with Xi, Ri said North Korea would stick to its policy of simultaneously pursuing both economic and nuclear development.
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The US government has challenged China’s claims in the region and has increased its support for some of the other countries involved.
