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China condemns U.S. Senate over sea dispute resolution

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An aerial photo shows a Chinese marine surveillance ship Haijian No. 66 (C) cruising next to Japan Coast Guard patrol ships in the East China Sea, near what are known as the Senkaku isles in Japan and the Diaoyu islands in China, in this photo taken by Kyodo April 23, 2013. REUTERS/Kyodo

An aerial photo shows a Chinese marine surveillance ship Haijian No. 66 (C) cruising next to Japan Coast Guard patrol ships in the East China Sea, near what are known as the Senkaku isles in Japan and the Diaoyu islands in China, in this photo taken by Kyodo April 23, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Kyodo

BEIJING | Thu Aug 1, 2013 6:36am EDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Thursday it had lodged a formal complaint with the United States after the U.S. Senate passed a resolution expressing concern about Chinese actions in the disputed East and South China Seas.

The U.S. resolution, passed on Monday, listed several examples of worrying Chinese behavior, including China's issuing of an official map defining the contested South China Sea as within its national border and of Chinese surveillance ships entering waters disputed with Japan in the East China Sea.

China has repeatedly urged the United States not to get involved in either dispute.

"The above resolution proposed by a minority of senators took heed of neither history nor facts, unjustifiably blaming China and sending the wrong message," China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"China expresses its strong opposition, and has already made stern representations with the U.S. side. We urge the relevant senators to respect the facts and correct their mistakes in order to avoid further complicating the issue and the regional situation," it added.

Territorial claims by Japan and China over uninhabited islets and the resource-rich waters in the East China Sea, as well as China's claims over the South China Sea, rank as some of Asia's biggest security risks.

Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Politburo on Wednesday the country wanted to resolve its maritime territorial disputes peacefully and through talks, but would not compromise on sovereignty and had to step up its defensive capabilities.

Tension over the East China Sea has escalated this year, with China and Japan scrambling fighter jets and ordering patrol ships to shadow each other, raising fear that a miscalculation could lead to a broader clash.

The Philippines and Vietnam have also accused Beijing of becoming more aggressive in their disputes with China in the strategically located and energy-rich South China Sea.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard)

 
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Comments (5)
Batman_is_mad wrote:
Most Americans would say, “China take your complaint and shove it!”

I would also wager the Filipinos, Vietnamese, Japanese, Australians and the Indians would concur with the same sentiments.

Aug 01, 2013 7:35am EDT  --  Report as abuse
prietenul wrote:
China needs to stop its gunboat diplomacy. Claiming the whole South China Sea is ridiculous. China is hopefully aware of the mutual defense treaty between the USA and Japan. Any provocations or other missteps around the Sentaku Islands could lead to full scale war. Is that worth a few rocks in the sea? China has the chance to share the resources of the South China Sea with all the nations that border it, and Japan has repeatedly offered to jointly develop resources in the Japan Sea. That is the mature, responsible approach. Does China have a mature responsible government? That is the question.

Aug 01, 2013 7:43am EDT  --  Report as abuse
Batman_is_mad wrote:
On the other hand unleash Eddie Murphy on China and I quote him from one of his famous songs:

“In your butt, put the boogie in your butt
Say, put a tree in your butt
Put a bumblebee in your butt
Put a clock in your butt
Put a big rock in your butt
Say, put some fleas in your butt
Say, start to sneeze in your butt
Say, put a tin can in your butt
Put a little tiny man in your butt”

Aug 01, 2013 7:48am EDT  --  Report as abuse