For years, China and others in the region, most notably the Philippines and Vietnam, have pressed overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea, but tensions there have increased recently as China has constructed man-made islands.
Wednesday's talks included the 10 members of ASEAN plus China, the United States, Australia, India and Japan. A U.S. defense official said it was better that the group issue no joint statement rather than one that did not include any mention of the South China Sea.
China's Defense Ministry said it regretted that the defense ministers' meeting had failed to issue a joint declaration and accused "certain countries" outside of Southeast Asia of being responsible for the cancellation of a statement.
The U.S. has called on China to stop building in the South China Sea, characterizing the activity as destabilizing for the region. Chinese officials have defended the construction as a peaceful effort meant instead to aid shipping through the disputed waterway.
Last week, the U.S. sailed a guided missile destroyer within 22 kilometers of the Subi Reef in the Spratly Islands archipelago in what the head of the U.S. Pacific Command called a routine exercise aimed at protecting "the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea and airspace guaranteed to all nations under international law."
voanews.com
3/11/15
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- US to return to South China Sea after warship visit...
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ASEAN defense chiefs fail to agree on South China Sea statement...
ReplyDeleteDisagreement between the United States and China over how to address rival claims in the South China Sea marred a gathering of Southeast Asian defense officials on Wednesday, with a joint statement scrapped after ministers failed to agree on its wording.
The United States and its allies had pressed for a mention of disputes in the South China Sea in the statement while a senior U.S. defense official said China had lobbied members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to avoid any reference.
"The decision was made by ASEAN because there is no consensus, so no joint declaration is signed," Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told a news conference.
The forum included defense ministers from the 10 ASEAN members and counterparts from countries such as the Australia, China, India, Japan and the United States.
It came just a week after a U.S. warship challenged territorial limits around one of China's man-made islands in the Spratly archipelago with a so-called freedom-of-navigation patrol.....REUTERS........todayonline.com
4/11/15