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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States on Friday urged China to halt its militarization of the disputed South China Sea. Beijing has been reprimanded for sending warships and planes near the islands claimed by China in the strategic waterway.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis listen to the director of the Chinese Communist Party's Foreign Office Yang Jiechi speaking at a joint press conference after taking part at a second diplomatic and security meeting at the US State Department in Washington. United States, November 9, 2018. REUTERS / Leah Millis
During a series of high-level talks in Washington, the two sides discussed many of their major geopolitical differences, including a bitter trade dispute, freedom of navigation in the Asia-Pacific region, Taiwan sovereignty, and the repression exerted by China on its Muslim minority. .
Two visiting Chinese officials also seized the opportunity to warn that a trade war between the world's two largest economies would end up hurting both parties and ask for open channels of communication to solve a problem that has disrupted global financial markets.
The talks aimed to limit the damage in relations that have worsened in recent months and pave the way for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 summit to be held in late November.
Even though relations between the United States and China are difficult, "cooperation remains essential on many issues," said at a joint press conference US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, citing efforts to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear program.
The meeting brought together Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis with Chinese Politburo member Yang Jiechi and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe. The annual US-China dialogue on security and diplomatic dialogue was initially set in Beijing last month, but was canceled due to mounting tensions.
Pompeo targeted China for the further construction of military installations on artificial islands and reefs in the South China Sea, where China insists that it holds sovereignty despite competing claims of smaller neighbors.
"We continue to worry about China's activities and the militarization of the South China Sea," said Pompeo at the end of the talks. "We have urged China to respect its past commitments in this area."
Yang said China was determined to work with the United States on "non-confrontation", but urged it to stop sending warships and planes near the claimed islands. by Beijing. Washington insists that it is acting under international law to preserve its access to the South China Sea.
Although Pompeo did not talk much about trade in his public comments, Yang said he hoped the two sides would find a mutually acceptable solution on the trade "in a short time".
China and the United States have racked up tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of goods, disrupting global financial markets, and Trump has threatened to set duties on the remaining Chinese exports exceeding $ 500 billion to United States if the trade dispute could not be resolved.
The Trump administration also accused China of interfering in US politics ahead of this week's parliamentary elections, accused China of strongly denying, and the two sides quarreled over military and territorial issues.
Reflecting the growing concern of the United States over the Chinese cyber threat, a senior US intelligence official on Thursday accused China of violating a 2015 deal to stem cyber espionage through government data piracy. and company.
Reportage of Matt Spetalnick and Idrees Ali; Doina Chiacu and Mohammad Zargham also reported; Edited by James Dalgleish
