- Title: China is behaving like a 'bully' in the South China Sea - McCain
- Date: 30th May 2017
- Summary: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (MAY 30, 2017) (REUTERS) U.S. SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN WALKING TO PODIUM AFTER SHAKING HANDS WITH NEW SOUTH WALES PREMIER GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SENATOR, JOHN MCCAIN, SAYING: "The challenge is that as China has grown wealthier and stronger, it seems to be acting more and more like a bully. It is refusing to open more of its economy so that foreign businesses can compete fairly, it's stealing other people's intellectual property, it's asserting vast territorial claims that have no basis in international law, and it's using its trade and investment as tools to coerce its neighbours." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SENATOR, JOHN MCCAIN, SAYING: "What I do believe, and I don't think I am exaggerating here, is that the future of the world will turn, to a large extent, on how this debate in America is resolved. That's why I and others are fighting so hard to ensure that America stands by our allies and remains an active, principled leader in the world. And we cannot do it alone. We need your help, my friends. Now more than ever, we Americans are counting on Australia and our allies to risk to stick with us." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SENATOR, JOHN MCCAIN, SAYING: "I think it's very clear that the Chinese by filling in these islands and militarizing them, and we're watching more militarization, is in violation of international law." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SENATOR, JOHN MCCAIN, SAYING: "The Russians are playing - Vladimir Putin is running a gas station masquerading as a country, and he's playing it very cleverly. But I don't know of any Ukrainian or anyone in Eastern Europe of any significance that wants to be part of the Russian Empire. They're European, they want to be part of Europe, they want to be part of the E.U. and they don't want to be part of a reconstituted Russian empire." WHITE FLASH MCCAIN POSING WITH HAT WITH UNIDENTIFIED UNIVERSITY STUDENT AND DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AT U.S. STUDIES CENTRE, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR JAMES BROWN
- Embargoed: 13th June 2017 11:51
- Keywords: U.S. Senator John McCain in Australia John McCain Australia South China Sea Shangri-La Dialogue bully China militarisation Russia Russian Empire
- Location: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
- City: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
- Country: Australia
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016J14WUF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: China is behaving like a "bully" with its militarisation of islands in the South China Sea, Republican U.S. Senator John McCain said on Tuesday (May 30), activity Washington must confront with its allies to find a peaceful solution.
McCain's comments during a speech in Sydney are set to escalate tensions between the United States and China just days before delegates from both countries are scheduled to attend a regional security conference in Singapore.
The United States estimates Beijing has added more than 3,200 acres (1,300 hectares) of land on seven features in the South China Sea over the past three years, building runways, ports, aircraft hangars and communications equipment. To counter the perceived Chinese aggression, the United States has conducted so-called freedom-of-navigation exercises, the most recent of which was conducted by a U.S navy warship near Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands.
While McCain stopped short of calling on Australia to undertake the exercises, the former U.S. presidential nominee said allies must work together to find a peaceful solution. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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