China on Saturday vowed "clear and firm reactions" to defend its interests in the South China Sea but rejected suggestions of aggression, as America's top diplomat urged restraint from all claimants to the bitterly contested waters. A series of incidents between Beijing and several other nations with territorial claims to the sea has sent tensions soaring across Southeast Asia and spurred Washington to call for a halt to any activities that could worsen regional maritime relations.
Animosity over the South China Sea, a crucial maritime route that is also believed to hold huge oil and gas deposits, is dominating Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) talks in Myanmar, which began Friday and are broadening to include key world powers ahead of security discussions on Sunday.
"The position of China to safeguard its own sovereignty, maritime rights and interests is firm and unshakeable," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters following a meeting with ASEAN counterparts in the Myanmar capital Naypyidaw. Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire sea including waters, islands, reefs, shoals and rocky outcrops nearer to other countries. The reach of its claims has stirred years of diplomatic protest from ASEAN states Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, which also claim parts of the sea, while Taiwan is a sixth claimant. While China always acted with "self restraint", Wang warned "for those groundless provocative activities, the Chinese side is bound to make clear and firm reactions."
US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is in Naypyidaw for the regional meet, called on all parties to refrain from actions that could deepen maritime hostilities. Speaking ahead of bilateral talks with the 10-member ASEAN, Kerry said the US shared a "common responsibility" with the bloc to "ensure the maritime security of critical global seas lanes and ports".