Barack Obama urges halt to artificial islands in S.China Sea

Bower said Obama came in with a strong hand, with TPP negotiations completed, an improving US economy and a firm stance on the South China Sea demonstrated through freedom of navigation operations.

“To build necessary military defense facilities on islands far away from our mainland is both required by the national defense need and the need to safeguard our islands and reefs”.

Beijing claims control over most of the South China Sea, which includes most of the sea routes supplying China with energy resources, along with a number of island rich in natural resources.

China yesterday told other countries not to “deliberately stir up trouble” in the disputed South China Sea, while insisting it has no intention of militarizing the strategically vital area even though it has increased construction activities there.

Two U.S. B-52 bombers also flew near the artificial Chinese islands last week, in advance of President Obama’s visit to the region to attend Asia-Pacific summits. At the end of October, the USS Lassen, a guided-missile destroyer, challenged territorial limits around one of the islands.

The Chinese premier, meanwhile, pointed to the intervention of some countries outside the region, stating that the issue is in nobody’s interest.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak put in perspective that when it comes to freedom of navigation and overflight, all countries agreed that there should not be any interference and that there should be respect.

The heightened clashes between Beijing and Washington over South China Sea have created the threat not just politically but also from the trade perspective.

But experts say the ruling could influence other cases in the heated South China Sea dispute – involving Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and other countries.

Mr Liu’s comments at the annual East Asia Summit, this year hosted by Kuala Lumpur, were some of the most forceful explanations that China has given regarding its position on the South China Sea.

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Saturday that countries should stop building artificial islands and militarising their claims in the disputed South China Sea. ASEAN leaders met their counterparts from the US, China, South Korea, Japan and other countries.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took a tougher stance on the issue, lashing out at the Chinese government for building military facilities in the area and claiming islands.

Later on in the summit, ASEAN leaders will meet with leaders of the United States, China, Japan and Korea.

He expressed regret that 42 out of the 100 odd islands were “illegally occupied” by neighbouring countries.