China urges caution from US over South China Sea disputes

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/13/china-caution-us-south-china-sea-disputes

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China has warned the United States not to take “risky or provocative actions” in a dispute over territorial claims in the South China Sea, as Washington contemplates a stronger stance in the area.

The US defence secretary, Ash Carter, concerned about China’s rapid expansion of artificial islands, has asked staff to look at options including sending ships and planes closer to reefs claimed by Beijing, the Wall Street Journal reported.

China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a news conference: “We are seriously concerned about the remarks on this issue by the US, and we think the US needs to make a clarification.”

She said China respected the freedom of navigation for international traffic in the area, but that did not allow warships and military planes to enter territorial waters and airspace.

“China will resolutely safeguard its own sovereignty. We call on the relevant parties to be cautious with their words and actions, and not take any risky or provocative actions,” Hua said.

The US has long insisted that it does not take sides in the complex territorial disputes in the region, but there have been growing tensions in recent months over China’s aggressive land reclamation projects in the Spratly Islands.

Several regional powers including the Philippines and Vietnam have overlapping claims to the area, mostly uninhabited reefs and atolls that lie in one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.

For years those claims were contested mostly by ships or between officials, but in recent years Beijing decided to reinforce its claims by expanding its territory. Since last year, building projects have quadrupled the size of artificial islands in Chinese-claimed areas, to 2,000 hectares.

The projects include an airstrip that could be large enough for fighter jets and surveillance aircraft, the Wall Street Journal quoted the defence intelligence provider IHS Jane’s as saying.

The report said the change in US stance would involve flying over and sailing close to artificial islands that were only reefs before the latest building project. China says its territorial waters extend for 12 nautical miles from the land, a line that the US has challenged verbally but until now ordered its navy to respect.

Some regional allies want the US to take a stronger stance in challenging China, while others fear that ratcheting up the pressure only raises the risk of military confrontation and could encourage Beijing to speed up building work even more, the report said.

The White House would have to sign off on any change in the US posture, and the Wall Street Journal said it had declined to comment.

Luna Lin contributed research to this article