Make efforts to avoid South China Sea militarisation: China tells others

BEIJING: China today asked countries in and outside the South China Sea to make concerted efforts to avoid militarising the region, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur called for an early adoption of a code of conduct to avoid potential conflicts.

"China and ASEAN countries are implementing DOC (Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea) and pushing forward the COC (code of conduct) to jointly safeguard the peace and stability of the South China Sea," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters.

Hong's remarks came in response to a question on Modi's comments on the dispute in the South China Sea at the ASEAN summit in which he had called for early adoption of the COC.

"India hopes that all parties to the disputes in the South China Sea will abide by the guidelines on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and redouble efforts for early adoption of a Code of Conduct on the basis of consensus," Modi said.

Answering a question about "militarisation" of the SCS, Hong said China hopes all countries in and outside the South China Sea will make concerted efforts to avoid militarising the region.

In response to a question on the militarisation of the South China Sea, Hong said it is "groundless to link China's construction on its own islands and reefs in the South China Sea to militarisation."

"China does not seek to 'militarise' the SCS)."

Stressing that China firmly pursues a defence policy that is defensive in nature, Hong said China opposes any country launching military operations that undermine regional safety, stability and mutual trust.

China, currently engaged in a verbal duel with the US after an American warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of a man-made island in the South China Sea controlled by Beijing, has said the move was "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty.

India, the US and several other countries, have been calling for "freedom of navigation" in the SCS. It has become a bone of contention among the countries having overlapping claims in the region.

Beijing claims nearly all of the sea as its own territory, citing a "nine-dash line" that China drew up at the end of the World War Two. Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims over the sea.

The Philippines, which has been the most vocal opponent of Beijing's territorial claims, has petitioned an international tribunal constituted under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). China is boycotting the hearing.