US envoy summoned over South China Sea
Source: Agencies |
August 6, 2012, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA'S Foreign Ministry has called in a senior US diplomat to protest remarks by the US State Department raising concern over tensions in the South China Sea.
In a statement released late on Saturday, China's Foreign Ministry said Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Kunsheng had summoned the US Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission Robert Wang to make "serious representations" about the issue.
On Friday, the US State Department said it was closely monitoring the situation in the seas, adding that China's establishment of a military garrison for the area ran "counter to collaborative diplomatic efforts to resolve differences and risk further escalating tensions in the region."
Zhang said the US statement "disregarded the facts, confused right with wrong, sent a seriously wrong signal and did not help with efforts by relevant parties to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea or the Asia Pacific."
He added: "China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition, urges the US side to immediately to mend the error of its ways, earnestly respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and do more to genuinely benefit stability and prosperity in the Asia Pacific."
Absolute sovereignty
A separate statement by ministry spokesman Qin Gang repeated that China had absolute sovereignty over the sea and its islands and had every right to formally set up a city to administer the region, which it did last month.
"Why does the US turn a blind eye to the facts that certain countries opened a number of oil and gas blocks, and issued domestic laws illegally appropriating Chinese islands and waters?" Qin said.
"Why does the US avoid talking about the threats of military vessels to Chinese fishermen by certain countries and their unjustified claims of sovereignty rights over Chinese islands?"
Xinhua news agency said the United States was trying to present itself as an "honest broker" in the dispute, but that its real intent was to stir up trouble and drive a wedge between China and its neighbors for its own gain.
Washington should "thoroughly abandon its plot to seek advantage from the chaos so the South China Sea can resume its role as a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation," Xinhua said.
In a statement released late on Saturday, China's Foreign Ministry said Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Kunsheng had summoned the US Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission Robert Wang to make "serious representations" about the issue.
On Friday, the US State Department said it was closely monitoring the situation in the seas, adding that China's establishment of a military garrison for the area ran "counter to collaborative diplomatic efforts to resolve differences and risk further escalating tensions in the region."
Zhang said the US statement "disregarded the facts, confused right with wrong, sent a seriously wrong signal and did not help with efforts by relevant parties to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea or the Asia Pacific."
He added: "China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition, urges the US side to immediately to mend the error of its ways, earnestly respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and do more to genuinely benefit stability and prosperity in the Asia Pacific."
Absolute sovereignty
A separate statement by ministry spokesman Qin Gang repeated that China had absolute sovereignty over the sea and its islands and had every right to formally set up a city to administer the region, which it did last month.
"Why does the US turn a blind eye to the facts that certain countries opened a number of oil and gas blocks, and issued domestic laws illegally appropriating Chinese islands and waters?" Qin said.
"Why does the US avoid talking about the threats of military vessels to Chinese fishermen by certain countries and their unjustified claims of sovereignty rights over Chinese islands?"
Xinhua news agency said the United States was trying to present itself as an "honest broker" in the dispute, but that its real intent was to stir up trouble and drive a wedge between China and its neighbors for its own gain.
Washington should "thoroughly abandon its plot to seek advantage from the chaos so the South China Sea can resume its role as a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation," Xinhua said.
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