China says U.S. patrol in disputed sea ‘harmed trust’

Recently the Indian Foreign Minister Mrs Sushma Swaraj met the Phillipines Foreign Minister Mr Albert F.Day Rosarigo and promised that India will call South China Sea as West Philippine Sea.

The document did not explicitly mention the South China Sea, where Beijing, one of the ASEM members, is feverishly building artificial islands in a bid to back up its claims of sovereignty as several other Southeast Asian nations also assert territorial claims.

The freedom of navigation and overflight in South China Sea neither has been nor will be hindered, he said, stressing that China needs unimpeded passage in the body of water more than any other country does. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan had overlapping claims over a number of islands of the SCS and strongly contest China’s claims of sovereignty over nearly all of the SCS.

There has never been a problem with freedom of navigation or overland flights in the South China Sea, nor will there ever be, Chinese President Xi Jinping said.

Mumbai: In a symbolic swipe at China’s muscular moves in the South China Sea, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter (in pic) visited an American aircraft carrier in the disputed waterway.

“Being here on the Theodore Roosevelt in the South China Sea is a symbol and signifies the stabilising presence that the United States has had in this part of the world for decades”, Mr Carter told reporters as the carrier sailed about 150 to 200 nautical miles from the southern tip of the Spratlys and about 70 nautical miles north of Malaysia.

‘The USA side should return as soon as possible to the correct path of appropriately managing disputes via dialogue and consultation, ‘ he added.

American Secretary of Defense Ash Carter led from in front as he warned China over its militaristic activities and behavior in the South China Sea, standing on the deck of the USS Roosevelt, affectionately called, The Big Stick.

“They did do their standard queries, to the nature of, ‘hey, you are in Chinese waters”.

China “is committed to working with countries with direct stake in the issue to solve the disputes on the basis of respect of historical facts, according to worldwide laws, and through discussions and negotiations”, Xi said.

“[The crew] picked up the phone and just talked to him like, ‘Hey, what are you guys doing this Saturday? We got pizza and wings, we’re doing this, we’re planning for Halloween as well, ‘” Francis said, recalling exchanges with the Chinese navy.

“They have been very cordial the whole time … even earlier than and after the Spratly islands transit”, Francis stated.

Writing on the website of The National Interest magazine, Bonnie Tyler, senior adviser for Asia at CSIS and Peter Dutton, director of the China Maritime Studies Institute at the U.S. Naval War College, offered an explanation for the mixed messages.

China’s neighbors have said the actions violate a regional code among the rival claimants against taking actions that upset the status quo.

A year ago, to mark United Nations Day, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi published a long statement, calling China a “staunch defender and builder of global law”.

But Commander Francis’ description of the cordial encounter with Chinese sailors who shadowed his ship comes as proof that it’s a different story on the ground -a story of normal friendship that may, hopefully, be replicated in future sail-bys. While the vessels kept their distance, China’s patience could be tested by repeated challenges to the 12-nautical-mile limits Beijing effectively claims around its seven man-made islands, experts said.

“I was like, ‘Mom, I’m not in China”.