U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, holds a joint press conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing on May 16. Wang said on Wednesday China has stopped reclamation work in the South China Sea after Kerry said the projects were of concern to the United States. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI |
License Photo
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said China must put an end to its "problematic actions" in the South China Sea – the same day China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told press Beijing has stopped work on land reclamation.
The separate statements from the two sides came during a meeting of foreign ministers at the ASEAN Regional Forum on Wednesday, but Wang did not confirm whether Beijing was committed to permanently abandoning the project, The New York Times reported.
Kerry and Wang had met on the sidelines of the forum. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has voiced concerns over China's reclamation work that includes the pouring of sand onto live coral reefs, and the construction of harbors, radar towers and airstrips at the site.
According to U.S. officials, more than 2,000 acres of artificial islands have been created.
Kerry had told his China counterpart that Washington was concerned about the massive reclamation efforts and the "militarization of the features," according to one State Department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
"We want to ensure the security of critical sea lanes and fishing grounds, and we want to see that disputes in the area are managed peacefully and on the basis of international law," Kerry said.
Beijing is responding to the strong opposition to its reclamation work with conciliatory gestures.
The Chinese foreign minister told reporters at the forum Beijing has "already stopped" projects and added they should take a plane and look for themselves, Voice of America reported.
That move may not be enough for the more vocal opponents of China's actions on the disputed area, including the Philippines and Vietnam.
Albert F. del Rosario, the Philippines' foreign secretary, said Tuesday that there has been "no letup on the unilateral and aggressive activities of our northern neighbor in the South China Sea."
Rosario has said any freeze on construction should not legitimize China's recent work in the area.
