Beijing chides US over S China Sea flight

A high-ranking U.S. Navy officer acknowledged Monday he participated in a routine surveillance flyover of the disputed waters of the South China Sea Saturday.

Brown did not provide other details of the flight, like whether they flew over disputed areas where China has undertaken massive island-building that Washington has asked Beijing to stop.

China, which claims most of the South China Sea, has refused to take part in the proceedings, and has called on the Philippines to agree to bilateral talks instead.

The Philippines earlier this month argued its case before a UN-backed tribunal at the Hague, challenging China’s claim over most of the resource-rich sea.

Coloma also cited recent remarks by leading U.S. senators such as John McCain, praising the Philippine efforts to resolve the matter peacefully and calling on the United States to continue to maintain peace in the region.

China claims most of the South China Sea, even up to the coasts of its neighbours.

Ty said Department of Energy (DOE) in March granted a force majeure on a separate petroleum exploration concession in the West Philippine Sea -SC 72 – because it falls within the disputed area that is now the subject of a United Nations arbitration process between the Philippines and China. It signed a military treaty with the United States past year to pave the way for Washington to station troops in the Southeast Asian country once again.

Beijing says the outposts will have undefined military purposes, as well as help with maritime search and rescue, disaster relief and navigation.

“There are forces of instability at play in the region, and that’s generating uncertainty”, Swift said at the press conference. “I am concerned about the forces of destabilization that appear to be more current here in the theater”, he said. “If we had the entire Unites States Navy here in the region, I think people would still be asking, ‘Can you bring more?'”. “The lack of certainty – the growing uncertainty of those countries in the region”.

Swift took part in the surveillance mission on Saturday after a visit to Manila, where he met top Philippine military officials. He assumed command of the fleet, among the world’s largest, in May.

Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin welcomed Swift’s move, saying it showed America’s commitment to come to the aid of allies locked in territorial disputes with China.

“That area borders on the exclusive economic zone, so any exploration must be protected by our Philippine Navy, so it’s incumbent for us since we have to protect our territory”, said the AFP public affairs office chief, Lt. Col. Noel Detoyato.

Territorial disputes involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei have flared on and off for years, fuelling fears that the South China Sea could spark Asia’s next major armed conflict.