BEIJING, China (Reuters) — China on Monday (February 6) welcomed U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ suggestion that diplomacy should be the priority in the South China Sea, and that major U.S. military action was not being considered to contend with China’s assertive behaviour there.
Mattis, speaking in Tokyo on Saturday (February 4), blamed China for “shredding the trust of nations in the region”, but also played down any need for U.S. military manoeuvres in the disputed waters of the South China Sea and instead called for open lines of communication.
The comments, his most complete on the issue to date, came after analysts had said other remarks made by President Donald Trump’s administration had suggested the possibility of U.S. military action, or even a naval blockade.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters at a regular briefing that Mattis’ emphasis on using diplomatic means of resolving disputes in the South China Sea was regarded as “positive” by China and that the situation was normalising.
“This accords with the common interest of China and all countries in the region, and we hope that countries outside the region can respect the common interests and wishes of countries in the region,” Lu said.
China claims most of the South China Sea, while Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei claim parts of the waters that command strategic sea lanes and have rich fishing grounds along with oil and gas deposits.