SE Asian foreign ministers voice concerns on South China Sea

Friday’s comments from Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller followed a week of warnings by Adm. Harry Harris to Congress that the pace of China’s militarization on a string of man-made islands in the South China Sea is changing operations in the Pacific.

The 2016 Defense White Paper calls for a total of AUD$195 billion in spending a larger force of 62,400 personnel by 2020-21-the largest in a quarter of a century.

Harris also accused China of showing determination to achieve military primacy in the region. In recent weeks, it has also installed advanced surface-to-surface missiles and radar systems that could make U.S. aircraft carriers more vulnerable.

Daniel Kritenbrink, senior director for Asianaffairs at the National Security Council, discussed China’s provocative military ambitions in the region during a forum at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

The presence of military equipment on Woody Island will surely not help in diffusing the ongoing tension between countries claiming territorial ownership on the region.

China would send warships to participate, Mr Wu said, but did not say how many or what kind.

With a strongly-worded reiteration of its territorial claims over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, the government of Vietnam on Wednesday invited strategic partner India to its expand its exploration of natural resources within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea.

“They’re clearly keeping their options close to their chest; presumably a decision hasn’t been taken and presumably so far we haven’t done it. He didn’t say it was on the table but he didn’t say it was off the table”.

When queried on the difference between the U.S. and Chinese perspectives on China’s endeavors, Wang took a slight jab at the U.S. “The U.S. adopts a global foreign policy while China pays more attention to our own neighborhood”.

With only two freedom of navigation operations completed, Harris said it was “too soon to tell” if they were having an effect on China’s behavior.

In fact, a vast potential to cooperate exists for them in such areas as the de-militarization in the South China Sea and enhancement of dialogues to reduce misjudgement and divisions.

China’s moves have “militarized” the South China Sea and threaten the security of air and ship traffic through the strategically important region, Binh added.

As of Thursday night, an Asean official said the draft press statement still contains paragraphs on maritime security and the South China Sea “that may or may not be there [in the final statement]”. Harris, in his Congressional testimony, had said it was “preposterous” that China would try to “wedge itself” between South Korea and the us over the issue.

The US, however, accuses Beijing of carrying out what it calls a land reclamation program in the South China Sea by building artificial islands in the disputed areas.

Wang sought to play down tensions in the region, saying the South China Sea is stable.

China’s official Xinhua news agency said of the meeting that both countries believed all sides should work hard to maintain the peace and stability of the South China Sea.