QINGDAO, China – China stays dedicated to resolving maritime disputes with different international locations via dialogue however won’t permit itself to be “abused,” a senior navy official stated at a gathering of senior international naval officers within the port metropolis of Qingdao on Monday.
The sea shouldn’t be an area the place international locations can flex their “gunboat muscles”, added Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and an in depth ally of President Xi Jinping.
“Reality has shown that those who make deliberate provocations, stoke tensions, or support one side against another for selfish gains will ultimately only hurt themselves,” Zhang stated.
The feedback had been an obvious reference to rising tensions within the South China Sea, the place Washington treaty ally Manila is in a fraught standoff with Beijing over the strategic waterway, a possible flashpoint for US-China relations.
Zhang additionally informed the gathered delegates that “carrying out maritime containment, encirclement and island blockades will only plunge the world into a vortex of division and turbulence.”
The occasion overlaps with the annual US-Philippines large-scale joint navy drills known as Balikatan, which started on Monday and can be held in Palawan and Batanes.
Tensions are notably excessive across the Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin Shoal) within the South China Sea, the place Manila has accused Beijing of “harassment”, together with using water cannons towards Philippine vessels.
The Western Pacific Naval Symposium is a uncommon alternative for international locations with opposing regional pursuits to alternate views. Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler is attending the from the United States. Other delegations embody Australia, France, India, Russia and Britain.
Participants will maintain closed-door talks on subjects comparable to addressing maritime safety challenges and the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, a set of tips meant to de-escalate tensions between militaries at sea. —Reuters/KG, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
