Editor's Note

China's Foreign Ministry has called in a senior US diplomat to protest the press statement released Friday by the US Department of State on the South China Sea.

In a statement released late on Saturday, China's Foreign Ministry said Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Kunsheng summoned the US Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission Robert Wang to make "serious representations" about the issue.

Zhang said the US statement "disregarded the facts, confused right with wrong, sent a seriously wrong signal and did not help with efforts by relevant parties to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea or the Asia Pacific.

Latest News

US should refrain from sending wrong signals over South China Sea
A recent US statement on the South China Sea sent wrong signals and did not help with the peace and stability in the region and Asia-Pacific at large.

China strongly opposes US State Department's statement on South China Sea
China expressed its strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition on the press statement released Friday by the US Department of State on the South China Sea, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Saturday.

US needs to behave itself over South China Sea
The United States on Friday voiced concerns about rising tensions over South China Sea, and cited China's establishment of Sansha city and garrison to single Beijing out for criticism.

China opposes military intervention in South China Sea
China has indisputable sovereign rights over the South China Sea islands and their adjacent waters, and the country opposes any military intervention in this area, the spokesman for China's Ministry of Defense said Tuesday.

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Source: Xinhua

More about Sansha city

Media Comments

	US needs to behave itself over South China Sea The establishment of Sansha city and garrison is a normal adjustment of China's administrative and military structure, and is an issue totally within China's sovereignty.The new arrangement does not mean that China is abandoning its traditional South China Sea policy. Beijing remains committed to seeking proper solutions to its disputes with other claimants through bilateral negotiations and consultations.
	China summons US diplomat over S. China Sea remark China summoned an American diplomat to protest US criticism of its new military garrison in the South China Sea, accusing Washington of confounding right and wrong and trying to stir up trouble in the region.
	Indonesia Working to Calm South China Sea Indonesia is distinguishing itself as a voice of moderation and mediation in the troubled waters of the South China Sea. Even as the rival territorial claims over the sea was splitting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Cambodia last month, Indonesia refused to quit acting as a mediator.
	US and China argue over South China Sea The disputes have become a focus of international interest, given that as much as half of global ship-borne trade by volume passes through the South China Sea. The US is pressuring all those involved to resolve the disputes through regional rather than bilateral negotiations.
	China calls in US diplomat over South China Sea The South China Sea has become Asia's biggest potential military flashpoint as Beijing's sovereignty claim over the huge area has set it against Vietnam and the Philippines as the three countries race to tap possibly huge oil reserves.
	China blasts US for sending 'wrong message' on South China Sea disputes China blasted the United States on Saturday for its recent public criticism and urging of diplomacy to address territorial disputes in the South China Sea, saying the US statement shows "total disregard for the facts" and sends "a seriously wrong message."

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