The US State Department’s number two diplomat on Friday compared ‘s behavior in pursuit of territory in the to that of in.
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China has become increasingly assertive in the South China Sea, building artificial islands in areas over which the Philippines and other countries have rival claims, sparking alarm regionally and in Washington.
“In both eastern Ukraine and the South China Sea, we’re witnessing efforts to unilaterally and coercively change the status quo”, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony J.
“The way forward is for China and all claimants to freeze their reclamation activities and resolve their differences in accordance with the rule of law”, Blinken said.
The Chinese government has reiterated in some of its strongest language yet that it won’t back down from its controversial claims in the contested South China Sea. We will continue to take reasonable and legitimate approaches to safeguard our justified rights and interests of the Nansha Islands.
China has set out claims to the South China Sea that extend far south of its coastline reaching close to Borneo, and incorporating the strategic Spratly and Paracel islands, with competing and overlapping claims by Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
‘ “China’s necessary construction on its own islands and reefs are totally different in nature from some countries’ seizure of Chinese islands and building facilities there”, Wang said.
“More weight should be given to the opinion of experts when it comes to the destruction of marine resources and the coral reefs that are affected”.
In the economic field, USA Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew issued a sterner-than-usual criticism of China on cyber issues. However, the Philippines on the other hand had sought the global tribunal in the disputes while the COC was still under negotiation.
“China’s sovereignty claim over the Nansha Islands has neither expanded nor dwindled”, Wang said, calling on some countries to end the seizure and occupation of China’s islands and reefs.
However, what some observers have termed “a Great Wall of sand” has already been built due to the PRC’s land reclamation.
“We do not have any plans to conduct surveillance in the South China Sea presently but depending on the situation, I think there is a chance we could consider doing so”, the admiral was quoted as saying. However, in a sign that the developments were far from over, the ministry also said on its website that China would follow up by building infrastructure for maritime search and rescue, environmental conservation and scientific research.
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The two neighbors have exchanged warmer words in the past few days as they marked 50 years of ties.
