China seeks to placate neighbors, demands respect
SINGAPORE – (UPDATE) China on Sunday sought to ease neighbors’ fears about its military ambitions and demanded respect from the international community as smaller Asian nations accused it of behaving like a bully.
Defense Minister Liang Guanglie told a security forum in Singapore that “only by advocating democracy in international relations and respecting each other’s core interests and major concerns” could the region find “lasting peace, harmony and stability”.
“China is committed to regional peace and stability through security cooperation,” said Liang, the first Chinese defense minister to attend an annual Singapore conference known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.
Respect and equality were the main themes of Liang’s address.
In a 45-minute speech followed by a question-and-answer session, Liang warned through an interpreter that countries “should not engage in any alliance targeting a third party” but did not go into details.
“Asia-Pacific is the shared home for all people in this region. At present, the unprecedented degree of interconnection, interdependence and integration of interests among nations in this region helps open up a promising prospect that peace, development and cooperation will bring forth.”
On the sidelines of the forum, Liang held talks with outgoing US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Friday as part of efforts to improve military relations between the two powers, a meeting both sides described as positive.
Gates left Singapore for a farewell visit to Afghanistan before Liang spoke.
Addressing sensitive territorial disputes in the South China Sea, Liang said China was committed to “peace and stability” in the potentially resource-rich area and insisted the situation “remains stable”.
The forum was also attended by counterparts from the Philippines, Vietnam and other claimants to the Spratly and Paracel archipelagos.
“Freedom of navigation in this region has never been impeded,” Liang said.
China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam have laid claim to overlapping sections of the territories, which are believed to hold major oil and gas deposits.
The Philippines accused China on Saturday of undermining peace and stability by allegedly sending naval vessels to intimidate rival claimants.
Manila cited incidents from February to May when the Chinese navy allegedly opened fire on Filipino fishermen, intimidated a Philippine oil exploration ship and put posts and a buoy in Philippines-claimed areas in the Spratlys.
In May, Chinese ships confronted a Vietnamese oil exploration vessel between the Paracels and Spratlys.
The renewed tensions drew a warning Saturday by the United States, which has strong military ties with its former colony the Philippines, that the territorial disputes could lead to armed conflict.
“China will never seek hegemony or military expansion,” Liang said at the forum, stressing that Beijing’s goal was “peace, not war”.
Originally posted at 10:00 am | Sunday, June 05, 2011
