BEIJING — China and the United States didn’t budge a bit Saturday over Beijing’s assertive development in disputed parts of the South China Sea, with Foreign Minister Wang Ji politely but pointedly dismissing Washington’s push for a diplomatic solution to ease tensions.
Wang and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stressed the importance of dialogue to resolve competing claims in the waterway. But neither diplomat showed any sign of giving ground over Chinese land reclamation projects that have alarmed the United States and China’s smaller neighbors.
The U.S. and most members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations want a halt to the projects, which they suspect are aimed at building islands and other land features over which China can claim sovereignty.
“We are concerned about the pace and scope of China’s land reclamation in the South China Sea,” Kerry said. He urged China to speed up talks with ASEAN on guidelines for handling maritime activity in disputed areas.
The goal is to help “reduce tensions and increase the prospect of diplomatic solutions,” Kerry said.
“I think we agree that the region needs smart diplomacy in order to conclude the ASEAN-China code of conduct and not outposts and military strips,” Kerry said at a news conference with Wang.
Wang indicated that although China was prepared to talk, it would not back down on the construction that, he said, “is something that falls fully within the scope of China’s sovereignty.”
“The determination of the Chinese side to safeguard our own sovereignty and territorial integrity is as firm as a rock, and it is unshakable,” he said.
Wang added that the differences between China and the U.S. could be managed “as long as we can avoid misunderstanding and, even more importantly, avoid miscalculation.”
The Chinese claims and land reclamation projects have rattled the region where South China Sea islands and reefs are contested by China and five other Asian governments. Activities have led to clashes, accompanied by nationalistic protests and occasional serious diplomatic implications.
