Top diplomats meet at fraught time between US, China

The U.S. accused China last week of exacerbating tensions in the South China Sea by apparently deploying surface-to-air missiles in the Spratly Islands, and China responded Monday by accusing Washington of making “a fuss”.

The Washington sit down will be the first since China parked missiles on Woody Island in the disputed South China Sea, and since the United States announced it would hold talks about deploying a missile defense system in South Korea as a deterrent to North Korea.

She called on the U.S.to adhere to its commitment of not taking sides in the matter and to “stop sensationalizing the South China Sea issue, stop hyping up tensions and work constructively for regional peace and stability, rather than the opposite”.

FILE – In this February 12, 2016, file photo, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, shakes hands with China’s Froreign, Minister Wang Yi, during a meeting in Munich, Germany, before the Munich Security Conference.

She did not confirm whether the South China Sea territorial dispute will arise, instead reiterating China’s stance on the issue: most of the South China Sea belongs to China, and the United States has no role to play in preventing China from constructing military facilities on territory that belongs to other countries.

Jin Canrong, a professor of worldwide relations at Renmin University of China, said that “competition and cooperation co-exist in China-US ties, and the reinforced competition in the South China Sea brings no change to such a big picture”.

Hua Chunying asserted that the U.S.is “not a party concerned in the South China Sea dispute” and that the situation in the region “is not and should not become an issue between China and the U.S”.

US warships and aircraft have recently conducted missions that take them through territory claimed by China but not recognized by the global community as part of the country’s sovereign territory.

A high frequency radar on Da Chau Vien would increase China’s ability to monitor sea and air traffic coming north from the Malacca Straits and other important channels, the report said. China, North Korea’s main trading partner and ally, has resisted USA efforts for stronger sanctions that would target energy shipments, given its concern about steps that could destabilize Kim’s regime. More than $5 trillion of goods transit the South China Sea each year.

Chinese news outlets are now reporting that the Chinese regime may deploy anti-ship missiles, and other weapons in the South China Sea. State-owned China Southern Power Grid Company says it will set up a power management system on Woody Island.

China has long voiced opposition to the deployment of the THAAD battery in South Korea, claiming that such a system could undermine Beijing’s security interests.

The report said the images showed that China appeared to have constructed a buried bunker and lighthouse on the northern portion of the feature, a helipad, communications equipment and a quay with a loading crane.

The UN Security Council is discussing sanctions against North Korea over its recent nuclear test and satellite launch using ballistic missile technology.