ianstone
10-12-2010, 04:14 PM
TERRITORIAL disputes in Asian waters pose a threat to regional stability, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates warned yesterday.
Dr Gates defended Washington's naval presence in the Pacific, despite criticism from China.
"Disagreements over territorial claims and the appropriate use of the maritime domain appear to be a growing challenge to regional stability and prosperity," he said, reflecting growing US friction with China.
Dr Gates endorsed an international approach to solving maritime disagreements that Beijing opposes, and insisted the US Navy would not back away from sailing in Pacific waters.
Speaking in Hanoi at the highest-level defence talks ever held in the region, the Pentagon chief stopped short of direct criticism of China but his words underscored the mounting rivalry as Beijing flexes its military and economic might in a region long dominated by Washington.
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At the ASEAN-led conference chaired by Vietnam, Dr Gates sought to reassure some smaller countries in Southeast Asia, which accuse China of bullying tactics on maritime issues.
China is involved in disputes with countries in the region over strategically important or resource-rich islands.
One major source of friction is the Paracel and Spratly island chains, which straddle busy shipping lanes and are claimed by China as well as by Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and The Philippines.
Washington did not take sides in the disputes in the South China Sea, Dr Gates said, but "competing claims should be settled peacefully, without force or coercion, through collaborative diplomatic processes" and under international law.
He praised ASEAN members for trying to agree on a code of conduct for the South China Sea, saying: "We stand ready to help facilitate such initiatives."
China has accused Washington of meddling in the issue and has said there was no need for a multilateral agreement, possibly mediated by the US.
Beijing, which has adopted a more assertive stance in the Pacific as it expands its naval reach with new warships and submarines, has complained about US warships sailing in the South China Sea and conducting joint military exercises with South Korea in the Yellow Sea.
But Dr Gates repeated Washington's determination to keep operating in what the US military considers international waters.
"The US has always exercised our rights and supported the rights of others to transit through and operate in international waters," he said.
"This will not change, nor will our commitment to engage in exercises and activities together with our allies and partners."
The US military exercises were "a routine and critical component of demonstrating our commitment to the region, maintaining peace and stability, and promoting freedom of navigation".
Dr Gates's statement came a day after he met his Chinese counterpart for the first time in months to mend military relations, which Beijing broke off in January in protest at multi-billion-dollar US arms sales to Taiwan, and Chinese officials said the issue remained the main hurdle to improving defence ties.
But Dr Gates, in Hanoi with defence ministers from China and other Asian states, voiced frustration at Beijing's stance, saying it was a political issue that should not derail dialogue between military leaders.
Dr Gates defended Washington's naval presence in the Pacific, despite criticism from China.
"Disagreements over territorial claims and the appropriate use of the maritime domain appear to be a growing challenge to regional stability and prosperity," he said, reflecting growing US friction with China.
Dr Gates endorsed an international approach to solving maritime disagreements that Beijing opposes, and insisted the US Navy would not back away from sailing in Pacific waters.
Speaking in Hanoi at the highest-level defence talks ever held in the region, the Pentagon chief stopped short of direct criticism of China but his words underscored the mounting rivalry as Beijing flexes its military and economic might in a region long dominated by Washington.
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At the ASEAN-led conference chaired by Vietnam, Dr Gates sought to reassure some smaller countries in Southeast Asia, which accuse China of bullying tactics on maritime issues.
China is involved in disputes with countries in the region over strategically important or resource-rich islands.
One major source of friction is the Paracel and Spratly island chains, which straddle busy shipping lanes and are claimed by China as well as by Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and The Philippines.
Washington did not take sides in the disputes in the South China Sea, Dr Gates said, but "competing claims should be settled peacefully, without force or coercion, through collaborative diplomatic processes" and under international law.
He praised ASEAN members for trying to agree on a code of conduct for the South China Sea, saying: "We stand ready to help facilitate such initiatives."
China has accused Washington of meddling in the issue and has said there was no need for a multilateral agreement, possibly mediated by the US.
Beijing, which has adopted a more assertive stance in the Pacific as it expands its naval reach with new warships and submarines, has complained about US warships sailing in the South China Sea and conducting joint military exercises with South Korea in the Yellow Sea.
But Dr Gates repeated Washington's determination to keep operating in what the US military considers international waters.
"The US has always exercised our rights and supported the rights of others to transit through and operate in international waters," he said.
"This will not change, nor will our commitment to engage in exercises and activities together with our allies and partners."
The US military exercises were "a routine and critical component of demonstrating our commitment to the region, maintaining peace and stability, and promoting freedom of navigation".
Dr Gates's statement came a day after he met his Chinese counterpart for the first time in months to mend military relations, which Beijing broke off in January in protest at multi-billion-dollar US arms sales to Taiwan, and Chinese officials said the issue remained the main hurdle to improving defence ties.
But Dr Gates, in Hanoi with defence ministers from China and other Asian states, voiced frustration at Beijing's stance, saying it was a political issue that should not derail dialogue between military leaders.