BEIJING, Nov. 20 (UPI) ─ A senior Chinese military official warned U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Scott Swift not to engage in “provocations” in the South China Sea.
Adm. Wu Shengli, China’s naval chief, told the U.S. naval commander the United States had “seriously challenged” Beijing’s sovereign rights, the Beijing Times reported Friday.
The U.S. Navy recently dispatched the USS Fitzgerald to patrol the South China Sea, and U.S. B-52 bombers flew near the disputed Spratly Islands, where China has been building airstrips. In late October, the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Lassen sailed within 12 nautical miles of the reefs, where China had claimed maritime sovereignty.
On Friday, Wu was quoted as saying that the United States should not be forcing other countries to take sides, and that Washington should not undermine the stability and sovereignty of other countries.
Wu said the Chinese navy had sent repeated warnings about U.S. “provocations” and has deployed surveillance measures, while refraining from extreme retaliatory measures. But if provoked again, China has the ability to defend its sovereignty, Wu had said.
The Beijing Times quoted Swift as saying the South China Sea issue should not affect bilateral relations, but did not include Swift’s replies to Wu’s admonishments.
Fan Changlong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, had made similar remarks during a meeting with Adm. Harry Harris, the Pacific Fleet commander, in Beijing on Nov. 3. During that meeting, Fan had said the U.S. patrols were a “wrongdoing” and “dangerous behavior” that should be stopped immediately.
As the dispute with the United States persists, and Washington engages in a Pacific-leaning “Pivot to Asia,” China also has been actively seeking consensus from Southeast Asian neighbors.
China’s Reference News reported on Friday that Beijing had received the permission of Malaysia to dock warships at Kota Kinabalu, a coastal city in northwestern Borneo.
The report comes two weeks after Wu visited Malaysia, Indonesia and the Maldives.
