When US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said while aboard a US aircraft carrier on Friday that the only reason the United States' presence in the region is an issue is because of China's behavior over the last year, he failed to mention what the situation was like in the South China Sea before the US increased its military presence there.

He should not turn a blind eye to the fact that China has never changed its position on settling its territorial disputes with other countries in these waters through peaceful means and seeking common development in the region, nor to the fact that China has never done anything to affect the freedom of navigation in these waters, which the US always cites as the excuse for its military presence. Instead, China has constructed some facilities on its reefs and islands to facilitate the safety of navigation.

Reports by some US news media have given the impression that Carter's visit was associated with the recent inspection tour of some reefs and islands in the waters by Fan Changlong, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, suggesting that the two militaries were defying each other's presence in the region.