Facts didn’t seem to matter as Western media took the United States at its word when reporting on China’s moves in the South China Sea, analysts have said.

Despite China’s obvious goal to avoid conflict with some other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Western media often argued that its land reclamation efforts in the Nansha Islands are stoking tension.

Greg Austin, a research fellow with the EastWest Institute in New York and visiting professor at the University of New South Wales, Canberra, said it is important for all sides to report in a balanced way what all parties concerned are doing.

… “China’s assertive actions in the South China Sea are cast as a growing threat to American interests, particularly the Pentagon and U.S. Navy,” Sam Bateman, a maritime security expert and retired Royal Australian Navy Commodore, argued in a recent opinion piece.