China will always ensure freedom of navigation in South China Sea, Xi says
Disputes over contested waters should be solved by the nations directly involved, Chinese president says in speech at National University of Singapore
China will always ensure freedom of navigation and flight in the South China Sea, but disputes over the contested waters should be settled only by the countries directly involved, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Saturday.
In a veiled reference to the United States, he stressed that Beijing was committed to a peaceful resolution with “countries with a direct stake in the issue”.
Others “from outside the region” were welcomed to have a positive influence on peace and development in Asia, Xi said in a speech at the National University of Singapore.
His comments came after Washington sent a guided-missile destroyer last month within 12 nautical miles of Beijing’s expanded Subi Reef, which forms part of the disputed Spratly Islands.
The US Navy said the move was aimed at underlining the principle of freedom of navigation, but the People’s Liberation Army called it a provocation.
In his hour-long address, Xi said: “Right of passage or flight has never been a problem and will never be a problem, because China needs the freedom of passage in the South China Sea the most.”
Beijing claims almost the entire sea as its territory, but faces competing demands from Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taipei and Brunei.
