By Ryan Woo
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, emphasizes the need for peaceful resolution of maritime disputes through dialogue and warns against confrontations based on alliances, without explicitly naming the United States, in the lead-up to an anticipated meeting between the leaders of both nations.
The Philippines, Japan, and the United States have expressed concerns over what they perceive as escalating Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea. Beijing asserts its territorial claim over most of the region, a claim that is fiercely contested by several neighboring nations.
In a recent incident, China and the Philippines clashed in the South China Sea when Chinese vessels obstructed the passage of Philippine ships. The tension prompted Japan to advocate for trilateral cooperation with the United States to assist the Philippines in enhancing its security capabilities.
“Historical maritime disputes should be resolved through friendly consultation between direct parties, and maritime camp confrontations and zero-sum games should be resisted,” Wang said at a symposium on maritime governance in Hainan, carefully avoiding singling out any specific country. He also called for the improvement of crisis communication mechanisms without directly referencing recent incidents.
China has repeatedly criticized the formation of “cliques” among nations that do not directly have claims in the disputes, particularly targeting the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, which portrays China as an aggressor in the region, including the South China Sea, and challenges international maritime law, including freedom of navigation.
While in previous years, Wang had openly condemned a “certain major country” for its actions, he took a more conciliatory approach in his latest remarks, steering clear of explicit references to the United States. This shift in tone comes as both countries work to ease tensions and ahead of an anticipated meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden.
Wang reiterated China’s commitment to upholding international maritime laws, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), without directly addressing the U.S. On the other hand, a year earlier, he had criticized the “certain major country” for not joining UNCLOS, despite its acceptance of the convention.
(Reporting by Ryan Woo. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
