Outsiders, stay off South China Sea: Envoy
New Delhi: Dec 20, 2015, DHNS
China has warned outsiders not to meddle in the South China Sea dispute whereas Vietnam squarely blamed Beijing for triggering a “dangerous” maritime conflict in the region.
“Countries who are from outside or have nothing to do with the region should not meddle into these issues. This will make it worse,” said Chinese Ambassador Le Yuchneg at the DH Dialogue on “The Asia-Pacific Century: India and Big Power Engagement” here on Saturday.
In a veiled message to the US and India, which hinted at greater military involvement in the South China Sea dispute, Le said: “Countries that are not from the region are flexing their muscles. This is not good for regional security. China will continue to commit herself for peace in the region and the common sea.”
US interference
While the Navy in the past had hinted at sending its warships to the troubled waters for protecting Indian assets, what irked Beijing was a move from the Obama administration
in November, when for the first time American warship USS Lassen was in the South China Sea within 12 nautical miles of one of Beijing’s man-made islands in the Spratly archipelago, a focal point of the dispute in the hydrocarbon rich sea.
China strongly objected to the US naval manoeuvre as it claims sovereignty over the archipelago.
The Chinese Ambassador’s claims were countered by his counterpart from Vietnam. Le said these islands were reclaimed from Japan after World War II and there was no claimant over it until 1970, when hydrocarbon was discovered.
But his counterpart from Vietnam Ton Sinh Thanh said Vietnam had full historical evidence and legal foundation to reaffirm its sovereignty over the Paracels Islands and the Spratly Islands, which were owned and controlled peacefully and continuously by Vietnam since the 17th century when no countries claimed their sovereignty over these islands.
“We are now facing a very complicated and even dangerous situation in the East Sea, as large-scale land reclamation and construction of the artificial islands have been accelerated in this area. The concern is about the pace and scope to the militarisation of the East Sea, which could create a new armed race in the region,” said Vietnam’s Ambassador to India.
“Over the past 20 months, more than 2,900 acres of land has been reclaimed by China in the Spratly Islands. This accounts for 95 per cent of all land reclaimed by others in the Spratly Islands over the past 40 years. These reclamations are carried out largely within Exclusive Economic Zones and Continental Shelf of Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, especially in the Mischief Reef which is approximately 135 km from the West of Philippines,” he said.
Thanh observed that South China Sea conflict is not only threatening maritime security, safety and freedom of navigation, but also decreasing the strategic trust among nations with serious and long-term impacts on peace, security, development and cooperation in the Indo-Asia Pacific region.
K N Tilak Kumar, Editor of Deccan Herald, earlier welcomed the ambassadors of China and Vietnam as well as other panellists and guests. “The 21st century has been termed the Asian century, because it will see the rise and domination of Asian powers like China and India. But a more accurate description would be the Asia-Pacific century, because there are other countries on the Pacific rim which will also have sway over the world in all areas in the coming decades,” he said.
He noted that US dominance as an economic, military and technological power would continue in the foreseeable future.
“Apart from China and India, there are other countries on the Pacific coast which are important in different ways,” he said, adding: “The economic, political and strategic profiles and the mutual relations of these and other countries in the region will shape the 21st century.”
“Countries who are from outside or have nothing to do with the region should not meddle into these issues. This will make it worse,” said Chinese Ambassador Le Yuchneg at the DH Dialogue on “The Asia-Pacific Century: India and Big Power Engagement” here on Saturday.
In a veiled message to the US and India, which hinted at greater military involvement in the South China Sea dispute, Le said: “Countries that are not from the region are flexing their muscles. This is not good for regional security. China will continue to commit herself for peace in the region and the common sea.”
US interference
While the Navy in the past had hinted at sending its warships to the troubled waters for protecting Indian assets, what irked Beijing was a move from the Obama administration
in November, when for the first time American warship USS Lassen was in the South China Sea within 12 nautical miles of one of Beijing’s man-made islands in the Spratly archipelago, a focal point of the dispute in the hydrocarbon rich sea.
China strongly objected to the US naval manoeuvre as it claims sovereignty over the archipelago.
The Chinese Ambassador’s claims were countered by his counterpart from Vietnam. Le said these islands were reclaimed from Japan after World War II and there was no claimant over it until 1970, when hydrocarbon was discovered.
But his counterpart from Vietnam Ton Sinh Thanh said Vietnam had full historical evidence and legal foundation to reaffirm its sovereignty over the Paracels Islands and the Spratly Islands, which were owned and controlled peacefully and continuously by Vietnam since the 17th century when no countries claimed their sovereignty over these islands.
“We are now facing a very complicated and even dangerous situation in the East Sea, as large-scale land reclamation and construction of the artificial islands have been accelerated in this area. The concern is about the pace and scope to the militarisation of the East Sea, which could create a new armed race in the region,” said Vietnam’s Ambassador to India.
“Over the past 20 months, more than 2,900 acres of land has been reclaimed by China in the Spratly Islands. This accounts for 95 per cent of all land reclaimed by others in the Spratly Islands over the past 40 years. These reclamations are carried out largely within Exclusive Economic Zones and Continental Shelf of Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, especially in the Mischief Reef which is approximately 135 km from the West of Philippines,” he said.
Thanh observed that South China Sea conflict is not only threatening maritime security, safety and freedom of navigation, but also decreasing the strategic trust among nations with serious and long-term impacts on peace, security, development and cooperation in the Indo-Asia Pacific region.
K N Tilak Kumar, Editor of Deccan Herald, earlier welcomed the ambassadors of China and Vietnam as well as other panellists and guests. “The 21st century has been termed the Asian century, because it will see the rise and domination of Asian powers like China and India. But a more accurate description would be the Asia-Pacific century, because there are other countries on the Pacific rim which will also have sway over the world in all areas in the coming decades,” he said.
He noted that US dominance as an economic, military and technological power would continue in the foreseeable future.
“Apart from China and India, there are other countries on the Pacific coast which are important in different ways,” he said, adding: “The economic, political and strategic profiles and the mutual relations of these and other countries in the region will shape the 21st century.”
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