According to comments made public on Sunday by Sun Weidong, the Chinese vice foreign minister, the US is creating the biggest security issue in the South China Sea, with its military operations there stirring up an “arms race swirl.” Confrontations between China and the Philippines, the latter of which is an ally of the US, have led to the South China Sea becoming a potential conflict hotspot for Washington and Beijing.
The comments came after Sun attended a senior-level meeting for East Asian cooperation in Laos, during which he stated that the primary security issue in the South China Sea was the influence of external forces. Sun also asserted that US-led forces were exacerbating maritime disagreements and undermining the lawful rights of coastal nations through their military engagements in the South China Sea.
Sun warned that the US deploying intermediate-range missile systems in the region was drawing the area into an arms race, creating geopolitical tension throughout the whole Asia-Pacific area. Regardless, he assured China’s commitment to resolving disputes through dialogue with the South China Sea nations.
This past April, at a meeting with US associated countries, the Philippines declared its intention to affirm its sovereignty in the South China Sea, blaming China for intensifying “its disturbance” of the Philippines.
China claims ownership of nearly all of the South China Sea, a crucial passageway for over $3 trillion worth of annual maritime trade. It has positioned hundreds of coast guard ships approximately 1,000km from its mainland to oversee what it considers its territory.
Disputes over contested zones within Manila’s exclusive economic zone have caused repeated frictions between the Philippines and China in the past year. China frequently charges the Philippines with intrusion, while Manila and its partners denounce what they label Beijing’s aggression. The US has clearly stated its support for Manila. – Reuters News Agency.
Thomson Reuters 2024. Copyright protected.