Xinhua accuses Clinton of ‘meddling’
CHINA: China's official Xinhua news agency on Saturday accused
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of “meddling” in the South China
Sea territorial disputes. Rival claims have for decades made the
resource-rich waters one of Asia's potential military flashpoints and
tensions have risen in the last year with the Philippines and Vietnam
accusing China of becoming increasingly aggressive.
At an Asian security forum in Cambodia this week, Clinton called on
all sides to resolve the disputes “without coercion, without
intimidation, without threats and certainly without the use of force”.
Xinhua said in a commentary: “Though wary of overtly irking China,
Clinton further meddled in the South China Sea issue by repeatedly
highlighting America's interests there and openly supporting individual
ASEAN members' scheme to complicate the maritime dispute.” Divisions
over members' territorial disputes with China prevented the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from issuing its customary joint
statement at the conclusion of its meeting in Cambodia on Friday. China
essentially claims the whole of the South China Sea, which is believed
to be rich in hydrocarbons and straddles strategic shipping lanes vital
to global trade.
Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia also have
claims in the waters, causing regular diplomatic flare-ups.
Xinhua accused Clinton of stirring up tensions in 2010 when she said
Washington had a “national interest” in the area. She had also urged
that maritime rows should be settled by international law, in defiance
of China's call to handle them directly with its neighbours. The news
agency said “China's maritime territorial sovereignty has been severely
infringed this year” by the Philippines, Japan and Vietnam.
“Though China always exercises restraint and insists on diplomatic
solutions to the disputes, some countries keep challenging China, which
certainly has something to do with US re-engagement in the region,” it
said.
“Washington must understand that returning to Asia by way of
militarily flexing its muscle and diplomatically intervening in
bilateral disputes is wrong and short-sighted.”
AFP |