Sea dispute adds friction in China visit
John Kerry, in Beijing, urges action to boost ‘the prospect of a diplomatic solution’ in the South China Sea.
SHANGHAI— China on Saturday defended its land reclamation and construction activities on disputed islets in the South China Sea as “fully within the scope” of its national sovereignty, and U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry urged Beijing to “reduce tensions and increase the prospect of a diplomatic solution.”
At a news conference in Beijing, the Chinese capital, Kerry and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, sought to emphasize points of agreement between the two nations on issues such as climate change as they lay the groundwork for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States in September.
But the South China Sea stood out as a point of friction. The United States and allies, including the Philippines, are worried that China is trying to establish de facto control over parts of the strategic waterway with landfill and construction projects that include an airstrip.
American military officials are drafting options to present to President Obama, including sending warships within 12 miles of the reclaimed reefs and rocks to make clear that the United States considers them international waters.
Kerry did not respond to a question Saturday about whether the U.S. had decided to carry out such patrols. But Wang warned that “the determination of the Chinese side to safeguard our own sovereignty and territorial integrity is as firm as a rock, and it is unshakable.”
“It is the request fromour people and their government, as well as a legitimate right of ours,” he said.
Nevertheless, the foreign minister said, Beijing supported “consultations and negotiations among the parties directly concerned,” though it was unclear whether China considered the U.S. a party “directly concerned.”
Wang said Beijing and Washington “do have differences on the South China Sea issue, but we also have a lot of agreement.” He called the United States “an important country in the AsiaPacific region,” and said China welcomes “a positive and constructive role” for the U.S. in Asia-Pacific affairs.
China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei and Vietnam all claim control over various portions of the South China Sea; the dispute has simmered for decades. China is not alone in pursuing reclamation projects or building small military installations on contested islands.
But China’s recent dredging has been of a far greater scale than that of other countries, U.S. officials say. Washington believes China has created 2,000 acres of land since 2014 on five coral outcroppings in the Spratly archipelago.
Despite the friction over the South China Sea issue, Kerry and Wang sought to put to rest tension over other recent points of disagreement, including the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Washington was caught with diplomatic egg on its face this spring when it sought unsuccessfully to dissuadekey allies from joining the new development bank.
A number of close U.S. friends, including Britain, said they would participate in the institution, which some American officials see as a challenge to similar U.S.-led institutions such as the World Bank.
Kerry said Saturday that there was “an enormous amount of misunderstanding” about the new investmentbank, in which 57 countries are participating.
The United States, he said, “welcomes new multilateral institutions, including the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, provided that they share the international community’s strong commitment to high-quality standards, including genuine multilateral decisionmaking, ever-improving lending requirements, and environmental and social safeguards.”
In addition to the Xi visit, Kerry’s preparations agenda included the upcoming round of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, which will take place in Washington in June.
After more meetings in China on Sunday, Kerry will visit South Korea.
‘The determination of the Chinese side to safeguard our own sovereignty and territorial integrity is as firm as a rock.’
— Wang Yi,
Chinese foreign minister