China asks US to play constructive role in SCS dispute

From K J M Varma Hangzhou, Sep 3 (PTI) Chinese President Xi Jinping todayasked the US to "play a constructive role" in maintainingpeace and stability in the disputed South China Sea, assertingthat Beijing will "unswervingly" safeguard its sovereigntyover the area. Xi made the remarks during a meeting with US PresidentBarack Obama here on the eve of the key summit of G20 nations,where the leaders of the world’s 20 strong economies willmeet. Xi said China will continue to "unswervingly safeguard"its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interestsin the South China Sea (SCS). "In the meantime, China will stick to peaceful settlementof disputes through consultation and negotiation with partiesdirectly concerned, and safeguard peace and stability in theSouth China Sea along with ASEAN member states," Xi was quotedas saying by state-run Xinhua news agency. After several hours of talks, the White House said theleaders had a "candid exchange" over the arbitration casebetween China and the Philippines. Obama also told Xi that the US would keep monitoringChina’s commitments on cybersecurity, the White House said. In the meeting, Xi also said that China is willing towork with the US to ensure bilateral ties stay on the righttrack. He urged the two countries to follow the principles ofnon-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-wincooperation, deepen mutual trust and collaboration, and manageand control their differences in a constructive manner, inorder to push forward continuous, sound and stable developmentof bilateral ties. Noting that the city of Hangzhou holds historicsignificance to Sino-US relations, Xi spoke highly of hisprevious meetings with Obama since 2013, which "producedimportant consensus." The US has voiced concern over Beijing’s growingassertiveness in key waterways in the region. The US has urged China to accept an internationalarbitration panel’s ruling that sided with the Philippines ina dispute over claims in the SCS. Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea despitepartial counter-claims from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysiaand Taiwan. PTI KJV PMS