Simmering tensions
July 22, 2011
The United States and China have moved to repair strained ties, saying tensions over the South China Sea were easing with new guidelines on conduct between Beijing and Southeast Asian nations.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, meeting at Asia's biggest security conference in Indonesia, appeared eager to ensure the dispute over the oil and gas-rich waters did not become another source of friction between the world's largest economy and the second-largest.
"I want to commend China and ASEAN for working so closely together to include implementation guidelines for the declaration of conduct in the South China Sea," Clinton said at the meeting on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.
Breakthrough
China and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) had announced on Wednesday a "breakthrough" in the dispute, endorsing a set of guidelines designed to reduce tensions in the waters. China has acquiesced to the new guidelines after almost a decade of deadlock, in what may have been an attempt to mollify ASEAN before Clinton's arrival.
In the meeting with Clinton on Friday, "the Chinese side raised its own concerns, which is that it is important to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China," spokesman Liu Weiming said. "And to respect China's major concerns in the issues of Tibet and some other sensitive issues. I sense that the US side understands the sensitivity of these issues and they agreed to further promote dialogue and mutual understanding."
The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, China and Taiwan all claim territory in the South China Sea. Washington has irritated Beijing by declaring it also has a national interest at stake in ensuring freedom of navigation and trade.
China claims it has had undisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea since ancient times. Tensions in the decades-long dispute have flared in recent months amid accusations by the Philippines and Vietnam that China was being increasingly aggressive in staking its claim to the sea. China is adamant about not involving other parties to help resolve the matter, insisting that the United States has no role to play in solving the dispute.
China has also accused the US of triggering tension in the region by holding naval drills, and President Barack Obama's meeting with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama last week has further strained ties
Author: Sarah Berning (Reuters, AFP)Editor: Manasi Gopalakrishnan