CHINA REJECTS INDOPACIFIC CONCEPT AS ‘SPECULATION’

BEIJING: China on Tuesday dismissed as speculation reports about the US and Japan floating a strategic concept of a “free and open” Indo-Pacific region, a phrase which a US official earlier said highlights the rise of India.

Reports of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump reaching an agreement on building a free and open Indo-Pacific region are “gas and speculation”, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

“We have indeed noted that recently this concept has been mentioned many times,” she said.

“I think that whatever concept or term is employed, we must by no means lose sight of such an objective fact: this region has grown into the most vibrant region with the greatest potential in the world and serves as a major engine for global economic growth,” she said, adding that maintaining the peace, stability and prosperity of the region is of significance to the whole world.

“We hope that the Asia-Pacific region can become a stable, prosperous and orderly region where consensus can be reached through consultation and where we are capable of managing differences,” she said.

On November 5, the Trump administration defended the use of the “Indo-Pacific” phrase instead of “Asia Pacific”, saying it captures the importance of the rise of India with which the US has strong and growing ties.

Indo-Pacific apparently refers to the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean regions.