- Title: China says U.S. "inciting divisions" after Blinken China comments
- Date: 14th December 2021
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (DECEMBER 14, 2021) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, WANG WENBIN, WALKING IN FOR DAILY NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, WANG WENBIN, SAYING: "(The United States) should respect the efforts of China and ASEAN countries to jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, instead of frequently sending ships and planes to the South China Sea as a show of force and provoking trouble. The U.S. should be a facilitator of regional dialogue and cooperation, instead of sowing discord across the region and undermining regional unity and cooperation. The U.S.'s methods of inciting of division and instigating confrontation are unpopular across the world, and this definitely won't work in the Asia-Pacific region." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS EXTERIOR OF THE FOREIGN MINISTRY CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG FLYING
- Embargoed: 28th December 2021 08:55
- Keywords: ASEAN Antony Blinken China Indonesia Southeast Asia US foreign ministry secretary of state
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- City: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001F80COQV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: China's foreign ministry on Tuesday (December 14) accused the United States of inciting divisions after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticised "Beijing's aggressive actions" in the Indo-Pacific region.
In his first visit to Indonesia as Secretary of State, Blinken on Tuesday touted a U.S. strategy to deepen its Asian treaty alliances, offering to boost defence and intelligence work with partners in an Indo-Pacific region increasingly concerned over China's behaviour.
In response to Blinken's remarks, China's foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a daily briefing in the Chinese capital that the U.S. should promote cooperation in the region, instead of " inciting of division and instigating confrontation".
China claims almost the entire South China Sea as its own, despite some overlapping claims with other coastal states and a ruling by an international tribunal that its vast claim had no legal basis. Beijing has rejected the U.S. stance as interference from an outside power that could threaten Asia's stability.
(Production: Thomas Suen) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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