China rebuffs US 'freeze' proposal on South China Sea

NAY PYI TAW - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Saturday that China will resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea, dismissing any ill-intentioned proposals that would interfere with the efforts to resolve the disputes and further complicate regional situation.

Wang made the remarks at the China-ASEAN (10+1) Foreign Minister's Meeting in the capital of Myanmar, which is part of a series of multilateral meetings that bring together foreign ministers and other top diplomats from across the world.

UNSHAKABLE POSITION

In a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday on the sidelines, Wang stressed that the overall situation in the South China Sea is stable, and there is no problem with the freedom of navigation.

China hopes all parties cherish the hard-won stability of the region and play a constructive role, he said.

For his part, Kerry pledged that the United States takes no sides on the South China Sea issue and hopes for peace and stability in the region.

However, what the US top diplomat has promised seemed not in line with a recent US proposal, which calls for a freeze of all the so-called "provocative acts" in the South China Sea -- a move that analysts say is partly intended to disrupt China's legitimate and normal drilling operation in the waters.

At a press conference after the meeting, Wang clarified China' s "unshakable" positions over the South China Sea issue, saying that his country will resolutely safeguard its sovereignty as well as maritime rights and interests and is committed to resolving disputes through friendly consultations and negotiations.

While China is willing to listen to well-intentioned suggestions from all parties on the South China Sea issue, said Wang, such suggestions must be objective, impartial and constructive.

Suggestions designed to avoid further complication and escalation of the situation are somewhat unnecessary, as the Declaration on the Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) has already contained clear provisions in this regard, he said.

Meanwhile, suggestions aimed at "setting up a separate kitchen" and going a different way, or those leading to double standards will inevitably interfere with implementation of the DOC and consultations on a Code of Conduct (COC) and are also unacceptable, he added.