China Tells U.S. to Stay Out of South China Sea Disputes

The Straits Times

25 January 2017

China has stood firm on its claims in the South China Sea, reminding the United States that it is not a party to the territorial disputes in the vital waterway.

The remarks from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying yesterday came after White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the US “is going to make sure we protect our interests” in the waterway through which a third of the world’s maritime trade passes.

Mr Spicer was replying to a question at a briefing on whether President Donald Trump agreed with comments by his secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson that China should not be allowed access to artificial islands it had built on reefs also claimed by others.

… Still, Mr Spicer’s comments seemed to suggest that the US government would support a heavy- handed approach towards China on the South China Sea issue, said Associate Professor Li Mingjiang of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

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