US urges China to end militarization of South China Sea

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US top officials on Friday urged Chinese counterparts to end the militarization of the disputed South China Sea, accusing China of sending warships. Americans near the islands claimed by Beijing in the strategic lane.

During a series of high-level talks in Washington, the two sides have exposed in sometimes sharper terms many of their major differences, including a bitter commercial dispute, the freedom of navigation in the waters of the United States. Asia-Pacific, the sovereignty of Taiwan and the repression exerted by China on its territory. Muslim minority.

Two visiting Chinese officials also seized the opportunity to publicly warn that a trade war between the two largest economies in the world would ultimately harm both parties and call for the maintenance of open channels of communication to solve a problem that disrupted global financial markets.

Despite the assertion of grievances, the talks appeared to be aimed at limiting the damage to relations that have worsened in recent months and paving the way for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during of the Group of 20 summit in Argentina at the end of November.

"The United States does not lead a Cold War or a policy of containment against China," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a press conference common.

While the United States and China face difficult challenges, "cooperation remains essential on many issues," he said, 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 engaged in "non-confrontation" but that Beijing had the right to build "necessary defense facilities" on what it considers to be its own territory and urged Washington to stop 39 send warships and military planes near the islands claimed by Beijing.

Mattis made it clear that Washington did not take this demand into account, insisting that it was acting under international law to preserve the latter's access to the South China Sea, among others.

TAIWAN

Responding strongly to the mention by Pompeo of Taiwan, whom China considers a faltering province but which is armed by Washington, Wei said that Beijing would defend its claim on the island "at any cost".

But Wei and Mattis have agreed on the need to reduce US-China military tensions in order to avoid unintentional clashes, the Chinese general saying the confrontation "would be a disaster for all". Washington protested to Beijing against the recent behavior of its warships, considered by the US Navy. unsafe.

Although Pompeo did not talk much about trade in his public comments, Yang said that he hoped the two sides would find a mutually acceptable solution on the issue "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 congressional elections, accusing China of denying it forcefully.

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.

Pompeo also reiterated US criticism of China's "suppression of religious groups," citing the treatment of Tibetan Buddhists and minority Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region, condemned by human rights groups.

Mr. Yang defended China's policies in Xinjiang as measures against "separatist activities and violent terrorist crimes", but said that it was an internal matter to China and that foreign governments should not intervene.