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Settle maritime issues in peace

JIN YONGMING

Just before President Xi Jinping's state visit to the US, Washington has again criticized Beijing's reclamation projects in the South China Sea. The incidents in the South China Sea used by Washington to raise disputes with Beijing have happened within China's exclusive economic zones, where the US has conducted surveillance and military reconnaissance, and held joint military drills more than once.

China and the US are yet to reach an agreement on warships' rights to "free navigation" or "innocent passage" in the waters around China's Nansha Islands. And whether or not such naval freedom requires prior permission has raised some disputes within the international community.

Bilateral negotiations should, therefore, play a key role in deepening mutual trust and reaching a consensus before unnecessary misunderstandings and misjudgments lead disputing countries astray.

Washington, in particular, should take a constructive stance on the territorial disputes over the Nansha islets and reefs between China and some neighbors, like the Philippines, instead of taking sides or further raising tensions in the region. It has to stop selling its cutting-edge weapons to other Asia-Pacific countries, and think twice before holding joint military exercises or signing biased treaties with them, such as the guideline for US-Japan defense cooperation in April.

In other words, the US government should stay neutral on the Nansha Islands issues to avoid further complicating and internationalizing them. Freedom of navigation has always been a major concern of countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including China and the US. So, it should be settled without any bias. Closer cooperation remains critical to safeguarding naval security which is also in line with the shared interest of the international community.

The author is a researcher at and director of Ocean Strategy Studies Center, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.