China calls on US to 'stop flexing muscles' in South China Sea

Bangkok

CHINA on Monday called on the US military to stop flexing its muscles in the South China Sea and to avoid adding "new uncertainties" over Taiwan, during high-level talks that underscored tension between the world's two largest economies.

The remarks by Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe to US Defence Secretary Mark Esper, recounted by a Chinese spokesman, came just two weeks after a top White House official denounced Chinese "intimidation" in the busy waterway. It also came a day after Mr Esper publicly accused Beijing of "increasingly resorting to coercion and intimidation to advance its strategic objectives" in the region.

During closed-door talks on the sidelines of a gathering of defence ministers in Bangkok, Mr Wei urged Mr Esper to "stop flexing muscles in the South China Sea and to not provoke and escalate tensions in the South China Sea", the spokesman, Wu Qian, said.

China claims almost all the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, where it has established military outposts on artificial islands. However, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims to parts of the sea.

The US accuses China of militarising the South China Sea and trying to intimidate Asian neighbours who might want to exploit its extensive oil and gas reserves. The US Navy regularly vexes China by conducting what it calls "freedom of navigation" operations by ships close to some of the islands China occupies, asserting freedom of access to international waterways.

Asked specifically what Mr Wei sought for the US to do differently, and whether that included halting such freedom of navigation operations, Mr Wu said: "We (call on) the US side to stop intervening in the South China Sea and stop military provocation in the South China Sea."

In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said Mr Esper, in his meeting with Mr Wei, noted China's "perpetual reluctance" to adhere to international norms.

"Secretary Esper pointedly reiterated that the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows - and we will encourage and protect the rights of other sovereign nations to do the same," Mr Hoffman said.

Despite warm words exchanged in front of reporters, Mr Wei and Mr Esper also discussed thorny issues, including Chinese-ruled Hong Kong, which has seen months of anti-government protests. They also talked about democratic Taiwan, which is claimed by China as a wayward province and is the Communist Party's most sensitive and important territorial issue.

Mr Wei underscored to Mr Esper China's position that it would "not tolerate any Taiwan independence incident", Mr Wu said, adding that it opposed any official or military contact with Taiwan. China has in the past threatened to attack if Taiwan, set to hold a presidential election next year, moves towards independence.

"The Chinese side also requires the US side to carefully handle the Taiwan related-issue and to not add new uncertainties to the Strait," Mr Wu said. REUTERS