China's maritime power is expected to expand to the South China Sea [wantchinatimes] |
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - China is growing "more
aggressive" in dealing with rival territorial claims, the Philippines said
Wednesday, after a fresh spat erupted between Tokyo and Beijing over a remote
chain of islands.
"It looks like they are becoming more aggressive every
day," said Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, whose own
country is locked in a months-long dispute with China over a shoal in the South
China Sea.
Beijing on Wednesday asserted its "indisputable
sovereignty" over the uninhabited territory in the East China Sea after
three Chinese patrol boats approached the islands, prompting Japan to summon
the Chinese ambassador.
The dispute, which centres around islands in the East China
Sea known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese, is the latest
territorial row involving China and its neighbours.
It comes as China and Southeast Asian countries struggle to
make progress on a code of conduct to ease tension in the resource-rich South
China Sea.
Tensions have flared recently in the area with both Vietnam
and the Philippines accusing Beijing of aggression.
China claims essentially all of the South China Sea, home to
vital shipping lanes and believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits. Taiwan
and ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia also have
claims in the waters.
Foreign ministers from across the region are currently
meeting in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh for a week-long security forum
which has been dominated by efforts to ease friction over the competing claims.
A joint statement by the 10-member Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been held up as countries wrangle over whether to
include a reference to recent incidents in the South China Sea.
Del Rosario told reporters in Phnom Penh it had been a
"difficult" day, adding that he was still pushing for a mention of
the tense situation in the Scarborough Shoal, a group of rocky outcrops also
claimed by China.
4 comments:
The rise of the red dragon. Time for the good old slaying. Macau, Hong Kong style .
China must act like a world super-power if you wanted respects. Uttering peace and diplomatic won't get you nowhere. Go China teach these inbreed a hard blow and you'll have their attention, even the westpac....
12 July 2012 11:26 AM
This is a more aggressive one indeed for what you’ve said, and you don’t even know who is right who is wrong.
China has been isolated and hated by so many countries. Cannot say that they have been successful in diplomatic relationship building! No power can survive unilaterally on this earth, not Soviet Union, U.S., Rome, etc....
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