Beijing lashes out amid criticism

BEIJING: China hit back yesterday at US criticism that it restricts navigation and overflights in the South China Sea amid a festering marine territorial dispute with some of its neighbours.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion (R63 trillion) in ship-borne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims.

Freedom of overflights and navigation doesn’t mean allowing foreign warships and military jets to violate other countries’ sovereignty and security, the foreign ministry said after US Secretary of State John Kerry accused China of restricting such movements in the region last week.

China sees freedom of navigation in the region as key because it is an important conduit for trade and natural resources, the ministry said.

Kerry told a meeting of regional leaders in Kuala Lumpur that China’s construction of facilities on man-made islands for “military purposes” was raising tension and risked “militarisation” by other claimant states.

Kerry also criticised “restrictions” put in place in recent months by China, saying the US would not accept any restrictions on freedom of navigation and overflights.

China has repeatedly warned Philippine military aircraft away from the artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago of the South China Sea, Philippine military officials have said.

The Chinese navy also issued eight warnings to the crew of a US P8-A Poseidon surveillance aircraft when it conducted overflights in the area in May, according to CNN, which was aboard the US aircraft.

In June, China said it would soon complete a phase of its reclamation projects, adding it would continue to build facilities on the manmade islands. – Reuters