China Demands US Warships Keep Away from Disputed South China Sea Islands
- China Demands US Warships Keep Away from Disputed South China Sea Islands
by NETWORK WRITERS, AGENCIES, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA NETWORK, MAY 14, 2015 TENSIONS are set to escalate in the South China Sea as China seeks assurances the United States will not send warships to test its determination to lay claim to a string of remote, strategic islands.
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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said last night that the US needs to clarify its stance on proposed new patrols around the islands being used to establish a claim on key strategic oil and fish stocks.
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China urged “the relevant country” to “refrain from taking risky and provocative actions to maintain the regional peace and stability”, Hua told reporters.
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Since 2010, China has been actively asserting sovereignty over what it calls the “Nanyang” Sea, known in the West as the South China Sea, a 5.6 million square kilometre stretch of water, islands and reefs between it, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and the Philippines.
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These claims even approach the coasts of its Asian neighbours. Hua said China’s upholds the international principal of freedom of navigation in the area — but that doesn’t mean foreign forces can operate freely there.
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China has asserted it is seriously concerned about reports military ships and aircraft will be deployed by the US to challenge Chinese claims.
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The Wall Street Journal last night quoted US defence officials as saying Defense Secretary Ash Carter had recently “asked for ideas” about how to address China’s moves to reinforce the occupied islands.
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“We are considering how to demonstrate freedom of navigation in an area that is critical to world trade,” an anonymous US official later told Reuters.
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While the US military already operates in the South China Sea, crossing the 12 nautical mile (22.2 kilometre) territorial limit around the disputed islands could raise dangerous tensions if China chose to respond.
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