CHINA urged the United States to play a constructive role in dealing with sensitive issues, referring to the South China Sea, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday.
China has been firmly committed to safeguarding peace in the South China Sea, Wang said at a joint press conference with visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Beijing.
“The South China Sea has been China’s territory since ancient times. China has the right to safeguard its own territorial sovereignty and legitimate maritime rights and interests,” Wang said.
“China is firmly committed to maintaining peace in the South China Sea, easing differences through dialogues, and settling disputes through negotiations and consultations. China and the United States should deal with sensitive issues in a constructive way to ensure a good prospect for Sino-US cooperation,” Wang added.
Wang said China has made a commitment not to militarize the South China Sea and it means what it says. But Wang said China cannot accept unjustified criticisms for failing to mate its words with actions. Wang said lighthouses and airfield on Nansha Islands are for civilian use.
“In addition to a lot of civilian facilities and public services on our guarded reefs, we also have some necessary facilities for self-defense, which is a legal right of self-protection and self-defense empowered to a sovereign country by international law. If such such rights were regarded as militarization, then the South China Sea has long been militarized, but it’s not China that started it,” Wang said.
Kerry, invited by Wang, is paying a two-day visit to Beijing beginning Tuesday. (Courtesy China Central Television)