China Blames U.S. Military Actions for Tensions in the South China Sea
|
Version 0 of 1. HONG KONG — A top Chinese official said Thursday that American military drills and surveillance flights in the South China Sea were threatening regional stability, a harsh assessment that seemed likely to heighten tensions between the two countries before several crucial meetings. The official, Col. Yang Yujun, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said it was the United States, not China, that was to blame for rising tensions in the resource-rich South China Sea, where China and several other countries are engaged in territorial disputes. “The Chinese side expresses its deep concern about the United States pushing the militarization,” Colonel Yang said at a news conference in Beijing. “The behavior by the United States can only lead one to suspect whether the American side is driven by a desire to see the world in turmoil.” The dispute over the South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest trade routes, has emerged as a serious point of contention between China and the United States. It is likely to be high on the agenda when President Xi Jinping visits the United States to meet with President Obama in September, and when Secretary of State John Kerry goes to Malaysia next week for a meeting of Asian nations. China has argued that it is entitled to 90 percent of the sea, putting it at odds with several nearby countries, including the Philippines and Vietnam. In recent months, it has accelerated its efforts to build artificial islands hundreds of miles off its shore, capable of holding runways, radar and missile systems. China maintains that the islands will primarily be used for rescue operations and scientific research. While the United States has not taken a formal position on the territorial disputes, it has called on China to resolve the disagreements in international courts, an idea that Beijing has resisted. American officials have also worked to deepen military ties in the region, for example, by participating in joint military exercises with the Philippines, as well as air and sea surveillance operations. In his remarks on Thursday, Colonel Yang took aim at those efforts, pointing to a recent seven-hour surveillance flight over the South China Sea by the commander of the United States Pacific Fleet, Adm. Scott H. Swift. Colonel Yang warned that the United States should maintain a “safe distance to avoid unexpected incidents.” In an aside, he added, “If there are American people willing to board civilian vessels to enjoy the beautiful scenery of China’s South China Sea, we can express our welcome.” Colonel Yang also criticized recent comments by Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of the United States Pacific Command. At a panel discussion in Colorado this month, Admiral Harris accused China of pursuing military objectives in the South China Sea and causing damage to the ocean environment. The Defense Department took issue with Mr. Yang, arguing that the United States had contributed to economic prosperity in the region. “We have helped to sustain a rules-based maritime regime that safeguards for all nations the freedoms of navigation and overflight and other related lawful uses of the sea,” Cmdr. William Urban, a spokesman for the Defense Department, said in a statement. Bonnie S. Glaser, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said the Chinese seemed eager to gain the upper hand in the debate by criticizing the United States in the same manner that Americans had criticized China recently. “The region is on edge,” Ms. Glaser said. “China is under a microscope, and I don’t think the Chinese really have an effective strategy for reassuring the region.” |