BEIJING (AP) — A U.S. Senate resolution critical of Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea “doesn’t hold water” and its sponsors should promote peace in other ways, China said Tuesday.
Disputes over the South China Sea should be resolved peacefully through talks between “directly concerned parties,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters, a reference to what Beijing considers to be meddling by Washington.
The resolution adopted Monday by the U.S. Senate deplored China’s “use of force” in recent incidents between Chinese vessels and those of other claimants in the potentially resource-rich waters.
The Philippines accuses Chinese vessels of intruding repeatedly into Philippine waters in recent months, while Vietnam says Chinese vessels have hindered its oil exploration surveys in an area 200 nautical miles off its central coast that it claims as its economic exclusive zone. China says it has sovereign rights over the South China Sea.
“The relevant resolution adopted by the U.S. Senate doesn’t hold water,” Hong said. “We hope the relevant senators can do more to promote peace and stability of the region.”
Democratic Sen. Jim Webb led a bipartisan group of four senators who introduced the resolution. Webb said Southeast Asian countries were worried about China’s “pattern of intimidation,” and that the United States had a strategic interest in facilitating multilateral negotiations.
The Obama administration supports multilateral negotiations, but has been less strident in confronting China.
Hong added that China wants disputes to be handled through “friendly consultations” between the parties directly concerned.
“Others without a direct stake should respect the efforts made by those directly concerned to resolve South China Sea disputes through dialogue and in a peaceful manner,” he said.
More than 1,200 U.S. and Philippine navy personnel, meanwhile, began 11 days of exercises Tuesday that would include live-fire drills, tracking and interdiction, and patrolling maneuvers in the Sulu Sea off the western Philippine province of Palawan, which lies near the disputed Spratly Islands.
The annual maneuvers were unrelated to recent spats between China and the Philippines over the Spratlys. They aim to generally improve both navies’ ability to deal jointly with any naval threat, Philippine navy spokesman Lt. Noel Cadigal said.
The U.S. Navy deployed the guided missile destroyers USS Chung-Hoon and USS Howard, along with the diving and salvage ship USNS Safeguard and 800 personnel, including Navy Seabees and Riverine forces. Two Philippine navy patrol ships and more than 450 Filipino sailors joined the exercises, officials said.
Aside from the three ships, the U.S. Navy would deploy SH-60 Seahawk aircraft and the P-3c Orion, a long-range anti-submarine warfare patrol and surveillance plane. ♦
Bloggers: One good advice is to keep your heads cool. People in China are also victims of China Communist. Most of them are still being prohibited from free speech and prevented access to the free world’s blogging, even Google search. Thus, anti-Chinese people sentiments must not be promoted. Ordinary Chinese people are just like any of us. They must not be targetted in any protests.
China Communist’s aim to take over the world has always been their “glory mission”. Everyone knows that, the whole world knows that. Their tactics and aggressive behaviors are nothing new. Our US lawmakers and leaders of the free world certainly have plans and measures to handle China Communist (this resolution passed by US senators is an example).
The truth will prevail and the good guys will win; and that is for sure.
China should be expel from UN security council because China intimidates smaller Asian countries, stole their oceans, occupies Tibet, and China is dreaming to conquer the world, they are neo-nazi. How can the UN let China be part of security council is beyond my imagination. Slap them a trade embargo, this is what China deserves.
The world could not accept the baseless claim of china that they own all ASIA
They have the baseless or undocumented claimed that the Philippines is part of China.. (look at the distance which is separated by more than 1000 Miles of waters; means recently manufactured story)
They also Claimed Spratlys as part of China (Of course if they will claim the Philippines then it includes Spratlys because they could not reach to the Philippines’ main land if they will not pass through Spratlys as the Spratlys serves as gates before finally entering to the Philippines’ mainland
Let Vietnam and the Philippines government shake hands with China..
China is the enemy. The only way to defeat your enemy is to make friendship with them so you would know their weakness.
CHINA is the Enemy of the WORLD Now so it means china must have to changes their attitude towards neighbor or else they will finally lost their face
“China unsubstantiated claim to the entire South China Sea is their sea from ancient times, that will be the same saying that Italy can claim to the entire Mediterranean is Italian sea based on the same ancient times, the Roman Empire. It really is ridiculous”.
Should kick out China from UN permanent members. They do not deserve to sit in that permanent seat. What ever they say or do, there’s always something gain for them before they speak out. Without any justification and greediness, China is trying to take the Paracel and Spratly islands for themselves, and how on earth, that China came up with the U shape line to say all the East sea belonging to them. Furthermore, they’re stated that, any negotiations must be bilateral talk directly to each claimant country. Furthermore,
The world and UN rejected the U shape line theory put forwarded by China. The world rejected the bilateral negotiations. The world also rejected China’s groundless evidence of sovereignty of the Paracel and Spratly islands.
Furthermore, the world knows China intention and their action recently. These acts of selfishness and greediness proven that they are not deserve to be a permanent member of the UN. A permanent member of UN is some one righteousness and some one strong to protect other countries. Such as, US, Great Britain, France. In contrast to this, China is a bully and does not protect the world but selfishly on protect their self interest. Even if that mean invading another country in order to take something that does not belonging to China. Boycott Chinese products.
I feel sadden when seeing Vietnamese communist regime still shaking hands with China. Why shaking hands with the devil.
It’s like a [edited] with no reasons took all your money and possessions. When you yell, the [edited] punches you in the face and said, ” come here and sit down one on one, and let’s talk about what you have done to the me [edited]”. “I robbed you and why you scream for. That’s why i(edited) punched you i the face to shut you up. Next time, when i take things off you, don’t yell out loud. Otherwise, you get more beaten”.
Time to ask America to put Missiles Defense Shield in Vietnam, Phillippines and Japan for a starter. Ask France to Modernise Vietnamese warfare machines and ask Russia for the Nuke bombs and wait for China next harassment.
China is a big country but it does not meant they have no weaknesses. Besides, they are not all that smart people. Just deceiving the world about how mighty they are.
The Uighurs, the Tibet and many ethnic people in China want to break away, so if China start war against Vietnam, Vietnam got some supports within china anyway.
Note: This comment has been edited due to its use of slurs
Chinese has no morals, no consciences, no legal grounds to support their sovereignty claims of the Paracel and Spratly islands. Even International scholars and experts in maritime rejected china claims and the world have seen provocative actions by China against Vietnam and Philippines and even Japan as well. Where are the justifications. China will not listen or back off because China and the Chinese they are greedy and selfish bastard.
No need for negotiations, especially direct bilateral negotiation. Do not believe in what they say, but look what they do. They are a pact of scumbag hyenas.
china already used forces in 1974,killed 40 south vietnamse navy troops and occupied Hoang Sa (Paracel Island) of Vietnam.In 1988 china used forces again and killed 80 vietnamess navy troops to occupied a part of Truong Sa (Spratlys) of Vietnam and still crying that they don’t use force. They also attacked Vietnam in 1979 in a war that they lost 60000 troops.What the LIARS they are. china doesn’t know what shame is.