South China Sea not issue between China, US

BEIJING - The brouhaha over the South China Sea disputes, which seems louder than ever, misrepresents the situation in the region.

Despite differences on the South China Sea issue, China and the United States do share the perspective that navigational freedom and safety should be safeguarded to facilitate business and trade. The South China Sea is not and should not be an issue between the two countries.

China has strong historical evidence and legal support to justify its sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters.

Since the 1970s, countries including the Philippines and Vietnam have invaded and occupied islands and reefs in the South China Sea, infringing the legal rights and interests of China. It was those countries that started the dispute.

As a de facto victim of the South China Sea issue, China exercises great restraint to maintain peace and stability in the waters.

China's fundamental goal in this area is to make the South China Sea a place embodying peace, friendship and cooperation, which aligns with its diplomatic vision of sticking to a path of peaceful development. Peace and stability in these waters is also in the interests of the United States.

Being an outsider and not a party concerned, the United States does not have any territorial dispute with China. However, some in Washington, still operating under a Cold War mentality, see the issue as an opportunity to contain China and hinder China's development.

Meanwhile, certain countries in the region have also tried to drag the United States in and create a confrontation between it and China so that they can reap the catch without lifting a finger.

People with vision, from both sides of the Pacific, have seen through such schemes and there are possibilities that the two major countries can work together for the peace and stability of the region.

To deal with the disputes, China and ASEAN members have adopted a dual-track approach, under which specific disputes are solved through negotiations by countries directly concerned and peace and stability in the region are jointly upheld by China and ASEAN countries together.