China: No invasion of Phl

BEIJING – The head of a Chinese government think tank says China has no intention of invading the Philippines, in response to a US pledge to help defend Manila’s interests amid rising tensions in the South China Sea.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday that Washington is committed to the Philippines’ defense following a series of Chinese intrusions into Philippine-claimed waters.

Qu Xing, president of the China Institute of International Studies, said yesterday that it was based on a “totally groundless” premise that China would invade the Philippines.

“We have never sent troops to invade other countries and we have never used forces against other countries,” Qu told a media briefing.

Japan protests Chinese intrusion

Yesterday, it was Japan’s turn to protest after China sent a marine research vessel to test the waters off its tsunami-hit coast, reportedly to check for radiation, without asking for Tokyo’s consent, officials said.

The Japan Coast Guard said the Chinese ship was spotted 330 kilometers off Japan’s northeast coast where the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant has been leaking radiation into the air, soil and sea.

Japan said China should have asked for permission as the vessel was sailing inside its 200 nautical mile (370 kilometers) exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“We cannot allow scientific research without our country’s consent,” the top government spokesman Yukio Edano said, Jiji Press news agency reported.

“We issued a warning on the spot and have made contact through diplomatic channels,” he said of the latest spat between the long-time Asian rivals.

A Japanese patrol vessel Thursday spotted the ship on its radar and issued a radio order for it to leave, said a Japan Coast Guard spokesman.

The ship identified itself as the 1,537-ton Nan Fen from the Chinese academy of fisheries science, the Japanese official said, adding that visual identification was impossible because of heavy fog.

“The ship radioed back saying they were out of the 200-mile zone and were taking water for maritime research,” and the ship then left, he said.

Chinese media have reported that the vessel was on a mission in the Pacific to test water for radioactive contamination. Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun daily also said this was the likely reason for the ship’s research mission.

Japan’s March 11 quake and tsunami damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant, sparking meltdowns that have forced Japan to douse reactors with massive amounts of water, some of which has leaked into the Pacific.

Beijing and Tokyo have repeatedly quarreled over the years over maritime territories, and Japan has often voiced concern about China’s rising defense spending and increasingly assertive stance as a naval power.

Japanese media have reported extensively on a flotilla of 11 Chinese warships that sailed between Japan’s southern islands of Okinawa and Miyako two weeks ago and sailed back the same way on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Chinese ships conducted drills including target practice about 1,500 km south of Okinawa, Kyodo News reported, quoting Japan’s defense ministry.

The conservative Sankei daily said the Chinese ships had deployed an unmanned aerial vehicle, and that a Chinese helicopter had staged a close fly-by of a Russian vessel that was in the area for surveillance.

Tensions in the South China Sea have escalated in recent weeks, with Vietnam and the Philippines protesting what they see as China’s increasingly aggressive stance in the strategic region.

China downplayed the concern of neighboring countries over the freedom of navigation in the West Philippine Sea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said in a press conference in Beijing on June 21 that China’s position on the West Philippine Sea is clear and consistent.

Transcript of the Hong’s press conference on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry indicated that “China safeguards its sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, which does not affect freedom of navigation… enjoyed by countries according to international law.”

“In fact, freedom of navigation in the South China Sea is out of question,” Hong said.

Hong was asked to comment on the Singaporean Foreign Ministry statement that expressed concern over China’s position on the South China Sea issue.

When asked how does China implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the SCS (DOC) is an important political document signed between China and ASEAN countries. China attaches great importance to its implementation.

“China always stands for and is committed to properly resolving the South China Sea disputes by peaceful means including direct negotiation, dialogue and consultation with relevant countries. China’s position is well carried out by its action,” Hong said.

“China has always been an important constructive force in safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea, which is widely recognized by the international community,” he added.

Singapore has called on China to clarify the extent of its claims in the West Philippine Sea with more “precision” as recent incidents and current ambiguity have heightened concerns in the international maritime community and raised serious questions in relation to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).