South China Sea warning for US
Source: Agencies |
June 23, 2011, Thursday
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Print Edition
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China is urging the United States to leave the South China Sea dispute to claimant states, saying its involvement may make the situation worse.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai's comments to foreign reporters ahead of a meeting with US officials in Hawaii at the weekend come amid the biggest flare-up in tension in years over competing sovereignty claims in the waters believed to be rich in oil and gas.
"The United States is not a claimant state to the dispute in the South China Sea and so it's better for the United States to leave the dispute to be sorted out between claimant states," Cui said.
"While some American friends may want the United States to help in this matter, we appreciate their gesture but more often than not such gestures will only make things more complicated," Gui told reporters.
"If the United States wants to play a role, it may counsel restraint to those countries that have been taking provocative action and ask them to be more responsible in their behavior," he said.
"I believe the individual countries are actually playing with fire and I hope the fire will not be drawn to the United States," he added.
China has called for disputes over the issue to be resolved bilaterally.
Cui, who will co-host this weekend's consultations with US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, emphasized that China was not responsible for the dispute and said it was greatly concerned by frequent provocation from other countries.
"We are troubled by some recent events in the South China Sea but we were not the party who provoked these incidents," he said.
"If you examine the facts closely, you will recognize who are the countries that have occupied islands under other countries' sovereignty by illegal means. It was certainly not China. Who are the countries that have done the most to explore for oil and gas resources in the region? It was certainly not China.
"Who are the countries that displayed force or used force against the fishermen of other countries? Again, it was certainly not China."
The latest tension arose last month when Vietnam said Chinese boats had harassed a Vietnamese oil exploration ship. China said Vietnamese exploration undermined its rights in the South China Sea.
Cui said China had no intention of any military conflict.
"We are now doing our best to maintain stability, to bring this problem back to dialogue and consultation between the relevant countries," he said. "If Vietnam has the same attitude and adopts a restrained and responsible stance, such military conflicts will not happen."
"If the US takes the same attitude, such military conflicts are even more unlikely," he added.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai's comments to foreign reporters ahead of a meeting with US officials in Hawaii at the weekend come amid the biggest flare-up in tension in years over competing sovereignty claims in the waters believed to be rich in oil and gas.
"The United States is not a claimant state to the dispute in the South China Sea and so it's better for the United States to leave the dispute to be sorted out between claimant states," Cui said.
"While some American friends may want the United States to help in this matter, we appreciate their gesture but more often than not such gestures will only make things more complicated," Gui told reporters.
"If the United States wants to play a role, it may counsel restraint to those countries that have been taking provocative action and ask them to be more responsible in their behavior," he said.
"I believe the individual countries are actually playing with fire and I hope the fire will not be drawn to the United States," he added.
China has called for disputes over the issue to be resolved bilaterally.
Cui, who will co-host this weekend's consultations with US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, emphasized that China was not responsible for the dispute and said it was greatly concerned by frequent provocation from other countries.
"We are troubled by some recent events in the South China Sea but we were not the party who provoked these incidents," he said.
"If you examine the facts closely, you will recognize who are the countries that have occupied islands under other countries' sovereignty by illegal means. It was certainly not China. Who are the countries that have done the most to explore for oil and gas resources in the region? It was certainly not China.
"Who are the countries that displayed force or used force against the fishermen of other countries? Again, it was certainly not China."
The latest tension arose last month when Vietnam said Chinese boats had harassed a Vietnamese oil exploration ship. China said Vietnamese exploration undermined its rights in the South China Sea.
Cui said China had no intention of any military conflict.
"We are now doing our best to maintain stability, to bring this problem back to dialogue and consultation between the relevant countries," he said. "If Vietnam has the same attitude and adopts a restrained and responsible stance, such military conflicts will not happen."
"If the US takes the same attitude, such military conflicts are even more unlikely," he added.
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