China Warns Against Meddling in Sea Disputes .

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ASIA NEWS

JUNE 14, 2011, 10:03 A.M. ET.

China Warns Against Meddling in Sea Disputes

By BRIAN SPEGELE

BEIJING-China warned other countries to stay out of escalating disputes with its

neighbors over the South China Sea, even as the U.S. Ambassador to the

Philippines pledged to support the country as it asserts its sovereignty in the

potentially resource-rich waters.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Tuesday that China would seek

to resolve longstanding territorial disputes with its neighbors bilaterally.

" The recent situation in the South China Sea has been caused by certain

countries making unilateral moves that have harmed China's sovereign and

maritime rights...trying to enlarge the South China Sea issue and make it more

complicated, " Mr. Hong said, without naming any countries. " China is protecting

its legitimate rights, not infringing on other countries' rights. "

Tensions in the South China Sea have been building for months and flared last

week when Vietnam accused a Chinese vessel of interfering with an exploration

boat operated by state-owned oil firm PetroVietnam. Significant oil and natural

gas reserves are believed to be located beneath the South China Sea, which is

claimed in whole or in part by China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei and the

Philippines.

U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Harry pledged support for the

Philippines in a speech at the launch of the Philippines' national

renewable-energy program.

" I want to assure you that on all sectors, we, the United States, are with the

Philippines, " he said. " The Philippines and the United States are strategic

treaty allies. We are partners. We will continue to consult and work with each

other on all issues including the South China Sea and Spratlys. "

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said he was happy with the ambassador's

assurances and stated that the U.S. military presence ensures freedom of

navigation and deters aggression in disputed territories in the South China Sea,

the Associated Press reported.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton infuriated Beijing last year when she

said Washington was willing to facilitate multiparty talks on the South China

Sea issue. Defense Secretary Gates said at a regional security conference

in Singapore earlier this month that the U.S. would defend its allies in

Southeast Asia.

The Liberation Army Daily, which is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party's

Central Military Commission, said in an article Tuesday it " opposes

internationalizing the South China Sea issue, making it multilateral, expanding

it. History proves this exaggerates the dispute. "

A U.S. embassy spokesman in Beijing on Tuesday reiterated the U.S. stated policy

that it doesn't take sides in regional territory disputes, while also indicating

the U.S. would support its allies in the region. " While the territorial disputes

over land features must ultimately be resolved by the claimants themselves, our

diplomatic approach to the South China Sea and claimants will reflect our shared

interests, " the spokesman said.