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Kerry Urges Beijing to Halt ‘Problematic Actions’ in South China Sea Kerry Urges Beijing to Halt ‘Problematic Actions’ in South China Sea
(about 5 hours later)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — With tensions mounting over China’s land reclamation projects in disputed South China Sea waters, Secretary of State John Kerry urged his Chinese counterpart on Wednesday to halt “problematic actions” in the area to provide an opportunity for diplomacy, a senior State Department official said.KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — With tensions mounting over China’s land reclamation projects in disputed South China Sea waters, Secretary of State John Kerry urged his Chinese counterpart on Wednesday to halt “problematic actions” in the area to provide an opportunity for diplomacy, a senior State Department official said.
Mr. Kerry met with China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, on the sidelines of a meeting here of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that has been marked by concern over Beijing’s effort to pile sand around reefs in the South China Sea and to construct buildings, harbors, radar towers and airstrips there. More than 2,000 acres of artificial island have been created, according to United States officials. Mr. Kerry met with China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that has been marked by concern over Beijing’s effort to pile sand around reefs in the South China Sea and to construct buildings, harbors, radar towers and airstrips there. More than 2,000 acres of artificial islands have been created, according to United States officials.
Mr. Kerry told Mr. Wang that the United States was concerned about the large-scale nature of China’s land reclamation and the “militarization of features there,” said the State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under the agency’s protocol for briefing reporters.Mr. Kerry told Mr. Wang that the United States was concerned about the large-scale nature of China’s land reclamation and the “militarization of features there,” said the State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under the agency’s protocol for briefing reporters.
Mr. Kerry later told diplomats here that he had a “good meeting” with Mr. Wang and expressed hope that headway in defusing the South China Sea disputes would be made in the coming days. Mr. Kerry later told diplomats here that he had a “good meeting” with Mr. Wang and expressed hope that the diplomats might make headway in defusing the South China Sea disputes in the coming days.
“I hope very much that at this meeting, over the course of today and tomorrow, we will find a way to move forward effectively together, all of us,” Mr. Kerry said. “We want to ensure the security of critical sea lanes and fishing grounds, and we want to see that disputes in the area are managed peacefully and on the basis of international law.” “We want to ensure the security of critical sea lanes and fishing grounds, and we want to see that disputes in the area are managed peacefully and on the basis of international law,” Mr. Kerry said.
Though Mr. Kerry believes his conversation with Mr. Wang was constructive, the two diplomats did not agree on any specific proposals, American officials said. Though Mr. Kerry believes that his conversation with Mr. Wang was constructive, the two diplomats did not agree on any specific proposals, American officials said.
Mr. Wang’s public comments about the South China Sea in recent days have not provided American officials with much grounds for optimism. This week, he dismissed previous calls by the United States for a freeze on the construction of artificial islands as “unrealistic,” insisted that all of China’s reclamation work was being done in Chinese territory and asserted that efforts to establish a code of conduct for the South China Sea were not a proper subject for the meeting of Southeast Asian nations here. Mr. Wang’s public comments about the South China Sea this week did not provide diplomats here with much ground for optimism. Striking a more conciliatory tone on Wednesday, Mr. Wang told a reporter that China has stopped work on land reclamation. But he did not commit Beijing to abandoning, or halting construction on, the artificial islands already formed.
Of the nations represented here, the Philippines and Vietnam — which have claims to South China Sea waters that overlap with China’s — have been among the most vocal about China’s recent actions, while countries like Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand have expressed less concern. Of the nations represented here, the Philippines and Vietnam — which have claims to South China Sea waters that overlap with China’s — have been among the most vocal about China’s recent actions.
“As we speak, we see no letup on the unilateral and aggressive activities of our northern neighbor in the South China Sea,” Albert F. del Rosario, the Philippines’ foreign secretary, said on Tuesday.“As we speak, we see no letup on the unilateral and aggressive activities of our northern neighbor in the South China Sea,” Albert F. del Rosario, the Philippines’ foreign secretary, said on Tuesday.
Mr. del Rosario has said he supports the United States’ call for a freeze on the construction of artificial islands, saying that the Philippines would halt its own land reclamation work if China did. But such a freeze, if agreed upon, should not be interpreted as legitimizing China’s recent construction, he has argued. Mr. del Rosario has said the Philippines would halt its own land reclamation work if China would do so. But such a freeze, he has argued, should not legitimize China’s recent construction.
For all the Obama administration’s talk of shifting more focus to Asia, Mr. Kerry has also used meetings like the one here to confer on an array of other issues, especially Syria. On Wednesday afternoon, he met with Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey’s foreign minister, who was also attending the gathering. For all the Obama administration’s talk of shifting more attention to Asia, however, the Syria crisis remains an important agenda item for Mr. Kerry. On Wednesday afternoon, he met with Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey’s foreign minister, who is also attending the meeting here.
Turkey and the United States recently agreed to clear Islamic State militants from a strip of Syrian territory near the Turkish border and to provide air cover for a moderate Syrian opposition force there. But the small number of moderate Syrian fighters that the Pentagon has trained have since been attacked by the Nusra Front, a rebel group that the United States claims is linked to Al Qaeda. Turkey and the United States recently agreed to clear Islamic State militants from a strip of Syrian territory near the Turkish border and to provide air cover for a moderate Syrian opposition force there. But the small number of moderate Syrian fighters that the Pentagon has trained have since been attacked by the Nusra Front, a Syrian affiliate of Al Qaeda.
Mr. Cavusoglu suggested on Wednesday that the difficulties the moderate Syrian rebels have encountered would be eased once Turkey became more involved in the fight. “We will also start our fight against Daesh very effectively soon,” he told reporters, using an alternate name for the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. “Then the ground will be safer for the moderate opposition that are fighting Daesh.” Mr. Cavusoglu suggested that the difficulties moderate Syrian rebels have encountered would be eased once Turkey became more involved in the fight.
Mr. Kerry planned to meet Wednesday evening with Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov. On Monday, the two diplomats and Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, held an unusual three-way meeting in Doha, Qatar, on the Syria crisis. “We will also start our fight against Daesh very effectively soon,” he told reporters, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. “Then the ground will be safer for the moderate opposition that are fighting Daesh.”
Amid the seemingly intractable disputes over the South China Sea and Syria, there was visible progress on Wednesday in at least one area: Mr. Kerry’s recovery from the broken leg he suffered in May during a cycling accident. Mr. Cavusoglu did not explain what Turkey’s precise military role might be. But Turkey is expected to join the United States in carrying out more airstrikes in northern Syria, and Turkish ground forces could be used on the Turkish side of the border to interdict the flow of foreign fighters and supplies to the Islamic State.
Mr. Kerry also met for the second time in recent days with Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, to discuss the need for a political solution in Syria. Though Syria is supposed to have handed over its chemical arsenal, Mr. Kerry also discussed concerns that President Bashar al-Assad’s forces still possessed and might use chemical weapons, the State Department official said.
Amid the seemingly intractable disputes over the South China Sea and Syria, there was one visible sign of progress: Mr. Kerry’s recovery from the broken leg he suffered in May during a cycling accident.
During his round-the-world trip, Mr. Kerry has progressed from using crutches to walking with a silver-handled cane lent to him by Victoria Reggie Kennedy, the widow of Senator Edward M. Kennedy.During his round-the-world trip, Mr. Kerry has progressed from using crutches to walking with a silver-handled cane lent to him by Victoria Reggie Kennedy, the widow of Senator Edward M. Kennedy.
“This cane has a history,” said Mr. Kerry, noting that it had belonged to Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., the family patriarch, when he served as ambassador to Britain. “This cane has a history,” said Mr. Kerry, noting that it had belonged to Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., the family patriarch, when he served as ambassador to Britain. It was later used by his son John F. Kennedy before he became president, and then by John’s brother Edward, who twice lent the cane to Mr. Kerry after knee surgery.
It was used by his son John F. Kennedy before he became president, and later by John’s brother Edward, who twice lent the cane to Mr. Kerry after knee surgery.
“It’s the third time I’ve used it,” Mr. Kerry said. “Three times is lucky, right? No hard breaks.”“It’s the third time I’ve used it,” Mr. Kerry said. “Three times is lucky, right? No hard breaks.”