UpdateUS tells top Chinese general that Beijing should halt island building in the South China Sea
Defence Secretary Ash Carter says countries' rival claims in the disputed waters should be settled under international law
US Defence Secretary Ash Carter met a top Chinese general on Thursday and repeated a US call for a halt to land reclamation in the South China Sea while stressing that the Pentagon remained committed to expanding military contacts with China.
Carter said during a meeting with General Fan Changlong, a deputy head of China’s powerful Central Military Commission, that he was committed to developing “a sustained and substantive US-China military-to-military relationship”.
This would be based on a shared desire to deepen cooperation in areas including humanitarian assistance, disaster response, peacekeeping, counter-piracy, as well as “constructive management of differences”, the Pentagon said.
Carter called on China and all rival claimants in the South China Sea to halt land reclamation and the militarisation of disputed territory and to pursue a peaceful resolution in accordance with international law, the Pentagon statement said.
Carter also reaffirmed his commitment to reach a consensus by September on a memorandum of understanding aimed at reducing the risk of accidents when the two countries’ aircraft operate in close proximity, the statement added.
Fan told Carter that China had a right to build in its own territory and deploy its forces there, a statement from the Defence Ministry in Beijing said.
He also urged the United States to stop its military activities in the South China Sea.