- Title: USA-CHINA/KERRY Kerry meets Chinese foreign minister
- Date: 5th August 2015
- Summary: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA (AUGUST 5, 2015)(REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER WANG YI WALKING ALONG CORRIDOR AND INTO A ROOM US SECRETARY OF STATE, JOHN KERRY SPEAKING WHILE STANDING WITH WANG KERRY AND WANG STANDING KERRY AND WANG SITTING
- Embargoed: 20th August 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Malaysia
- Country: Malaysia
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA93ZFGZNMMCZ7A9SQS8NEZ5NA7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sat down for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of meetings of the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Wednesday (August 5).
Earlier, Kerry had said he would discuss with Wang Washington's call for a halt to activities that are raising tensions in the disputed South China Sea.
Their talks come after ASEAN states on Tuesday (August 4) called for restraint in the South China Sea amid concerns over Beijing's rapid creation of seven artificial islands in the strategic waterway. Several ASEAN members have competing claims with Beijing in the South China Sea.
At the start of the meeting Kerry said the two sides would also discuss Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the United States in September.
One of the Chinese journalists in the room said Wang noted in Chinese that what Kerry said was correct.
Wang on Monday (August 4) described calls for a freeze in activity in the South China Sea as "unrealistic".
China had also said it didn't want the dispute raised at this week's ASEAN meetings, but some Southeast Asian ministers including from host Malaysia rebuffed that call, saying on Tuesday that the issue was too important to ignore.
Kerry and Wang are expected to hold separate meetings with the ASEAN grouping on Wednesday.
China claims most of the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims.
China has shown no sign of halting its construction of artificial islands in disputed areas.
It has also accused the United States of militarising the South China Sea by staging patrols and joint military drills. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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