When
United States uses a regional security meeting this weekend to support the
Philippines proposal for a freeze of provocative acts in South China Sea, the
giant country China comes under the most
intensive diplomatic pressure to rein in its assertive moves in the area.
U.S.
Secretary of State John Kerry has pushed the issue at the ASEAN Regional Forum which
marks a step up in Washington's involvement in the dispute. Kerry arrives in
Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw on Saturday, joining top envoys from several
countries, including Russia, China, Japan, India, Australia and the European
Union to discuss the dispute.
However,
Beijing rejects U.S. participation in the dispute and has already dismissed
proposals from Washington and Manila for a freeze on actions such as land
reclamation and construction on disputed islands and reefs. The United State
Department official said that the
secretary is not looking for a confrontation.
On
Thursday, Chinese state media reported that China plans to construct
lighthouses on five islands in the South China Sea where two of the five
islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.
The
U.S. encourages some ASEAN nations to drive into more progressive action on a
maritime code aimed in order to reduce tensions in the disputed water. China alleges
the United States of encouraging claimants such as the Philippines and Vietnam
with its military "pivot" back to Asia.
China claims 90 percent of the South China Sea, which is belied to have
plenty of oil and gas deposits and has
rich fishing grounds. Meanwile, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and
Taiwan also claim to parts of the sea, where about $5 trillion in ship-borne
trade passes every year.
