Kerry Seeks Diplomatic Solution to South China Sea Standoff

Angry over USA surveillance flights over in the airspace over the region, Beijing is reportedly considering establishing an Air Defense Identification Zone over portions of the South China Sea, which would require all incoming aircraft to register with Chinese authorities to fly in the air route.

In January 2013 the Philippines unilaterally initiated an worldwide arbitration case with China on the territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

On Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the United States to build mutual trust and refrain from adopting a confrontational stance on any divisive issues.

Disputes should be resolved by the parties involved through consultation, he said.

Admiral Sun Jianguo, deputy chief of general staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, addressed the tensions resulting from overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, an annual conference on security in the Asia-Pacific region.

They had talked about the South China Sea issue and hurled unreasonable accusations at China, the spokeswoman said.

 Beijing’s claim to 80% of the South China Sea has brought it into dispute with neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

That is exactly what happened when U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivered his remarks at the National Museum in Beijing last Tuesday.

Regarding China’s construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea, a Chinese participant said: “China’s practice is not an exception”. China says its construction in the South China Sea, a busy waterway rich in resources, is to fulfil its global obligations.

U.S. presence in the area has also heated things up.

“Actually I am anxious some people and countries are still looking at China with the Cold War mentality and are prejudiced”.

China and the United States may be criticizing each other a lot lately, especially when it comes to the tricky issue of the South China Sea.

China’s top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, said China “resolutely makes it own contribution to peace, stability and development”.

Elaborating on this, Sun said, “Countries that are not involved are not expected to act out of selfish interests and deliberately damage this path”.

If the non-binding ruling is unfavorable to China, it might respond by putting structures on the shoal to give it a military outpost on the Philippines’ door.

At that same meeting, Chinese admiral Sun Jianguo said China advocates patience and dialogue, but rejects the United Nations court’s authority and will not be bullied.

He reiterated China’s promise to seek resolution to disputes through peaceful negotiations with other claimants of territory in the South China Sea, and warned other countries about interference.