China hits out ‘broken US promises’ over South China Sea activity

Defence ministry in Beijing said US Indo-Pacific commander John C Aquilino had ‘travelled thousands of miles to seek provocation’

China accuses Washington of not sticking to a recent pledge by Joe Biden not to seek confrontation

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Admiral John C Aquilino, left, criticised China for militarising islands in the South China Sea. Photo: AP

Published: 11:00pm, 31 Mar 2022

China has accused the United States of breaking a promise by conducting military activity in the South China Sea.

In response to a recent patrol flight by US Indo-Pacific Commander John C Aquilino in the disputed waters, Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said the American side “have travelled thousands of miles to the South China Sea and seek provocation”.

Wu told a regular press conference on Wednesday: “The US approach is seriously inconsistent with President [Joe] Biden’s statement.”

In the phone call between Biden and Xi Jinping on March 18, the US president said Washington did not want a“new cold war” with China, do not seek to change China’s systems, do not seek to oppose China by strengthening US alliances, did not support Taiwan independence and has no intention of clashing with China., Wu said.

Aquilino last week flew near Chinese-held outposts in the Spratly archipelago. He said Beijing has fully militarised at least three islands it built in the disputed South China Sea and its actions were in stark contrast to Xi’s past assurances that Beijing would not transform islands in contested waters into military bases.

“China’s deployment of necessary territorial defence facilities is not only the legitimate right of a sovereign state, but also a necessary measure to respond to the provocations of the United States, and is fully in line with relevant international law and international practice,” Wu said.