CHINA/AT SEA: Beijing tells outside countries to stay out of the South China Sea dispute

Record ID: 1374155

  • Title: CHINA/AT SEA: Beijing tells outside countries to stay out of the South China Sea dispute
  • Date: 15th June 2011
  • Summary: PICTURE OF MILITARY SHIP ON NEWSPAPER MILITARY SHIP
  • Embargoed: 30th June 2011 04:30
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey, At Sea, China
  • City:
  • Country: Turkey China At Sea
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA9KZL0BIAZPRHG9P0884QCEJH4
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday (June 14) urged outside parties to refrain from involvement in the South China Sea territory dispute, after Vietnam said it will hold live-fire naval drills in the waters.
    "(Some countries) have issued groundless and irresponsible statements that exaggerate and complicated the situation in the South China Sea. This is the source of the problem. China is just protecting its own legitimate rights and is not infringing on those other countries," ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular press briefing.
    China vehemently opposes external powers meddling in territorial disputes over the South China Sea, the main military newspaper said on Tuesday, after Vietnam asked for international help to defuse tensions over the resource-rich region.
    Hong also repeated that China has made efforts to peacefully resolve the South China Sea disputes through bilateral consultations with each country involved in the respective disputes.
    "We hope that countries not directly involved in the issue of the South China Sea earnestly respect the rights of the countries to deal with the issue through negotiations," Hong added.
    Tensions over the South China Sea have risen in the past two weeks, with China and Vietnam trading accusations of violating sovereignty in the sea, home to important shipping lanes and potentially large oil and gas reserves.
    Such accusations are not uncommon between China, Vietnam and the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, which are also involved in long-standing maritime disputes in the South China Sea, but this bout of tension has run longer than usual.
    Many Chinese, like 41-year-old Beijing resident Xing Xishen, believe that the South China Sea has long been a Chinese territory, and Vietnam's military drills are an unlawful challenge to China's sovereignty
    "I think that (Vietnam's) reaction to China's action is a kind of a challenge. Because the South China Sea has been China's territory since ancient times, they have no right to conduct a military drill there," he said.
    Others, like 28 year-old Zeng Yanxun, believed that the involved countries should reason peacefully, but that China's reaction was integral to the future handling of the disputed waters.
    "As a Chinese, I think that the Chinese government needs to be forceful enough this time. The Philippines and other countries are watching to see China's reaction, so like this time, if China allows Vietnam to carry out these kind of activities against it, I think there will be some negative impacts," she said.
    Last year, as chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Vietnam sought to internationalise the South China Sea disputes and succeeded in putting it on the agenda at a regional security forum, much to China's displeasure.
    The Liberation Army Daily, a paper under the control of the Chinese Communist Party and Central Military Commission, issued a commentary which accused Vietnam of stirring up tensions by conducting military exercises in part of the exclusive economic zone it claims in the sea.
    A Vietnamese military source confirmed the live-fire drills were underway. Vietnam's military newspaper this weekend accused China of creating disputes "through provocative actions (and) hostilities aimed at its neighbours".
    Vietnam's prime minister also issued a decree outlining the terms of a possible military draft; a move experts said was a signal from the communist authorities that the country was prepared to defend its interests.
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