‘China committed to resolve sea dispute’

WASHINGTON – China is committed to resolving disputes in the South China Sea peacefully and in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said.

At the first meeting of the US-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue in Washington on Wednesday, Tillerson made clear the United States opposed the militarization of outposts in the South China Sea and Beijing’s excessive maritime claims unsupported by international law.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said discussions centered on ways to decrease tension and reduce risks of open hostilities in the South China Sea.

He said first in this series of meetings between both sides, “we gained a glimpse of a mutually beneficial future that we can create.”

Mattis said he was committed to improving US-China defense relationships.

While competition between both countries is bound to occur, conflict is not inevitable, he added.

A UNCLOS arbitral tribunal last year invalidated China’s claim to most of the South China Sea, parts of which are contested by neighboring countries including the Philippines and Vietnam.

Representing China at the talks were State Councilor Yang Jiechi and the People’s Liberation Army Chief of the General Staff Gen. Fang Fenghui.

The diplomatic and security dialogue was established under a broad framework of a comprehensive mechanism established in April following a meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Florida.

Three other groupings within the framework are the comprehensive economic dialogue, the law enforcement and cyber strategic dialogue, and people-to-people dialogue.