White House Calls China's Actions in Vietnam Dispute Provocative
China's decision to place an oil rig in disputed waters in the South China Sea is a provocative act and raises tensions in the region, the White House said on Friday. "We consider that act provocative and we consider it one that undermines the goal that we share, which is peaceful resolution of these disputes and general stability in the region," White House spokesman Jay Carney said at his regularly scheduled briefing. "We're very concerned about dangerous conduct and intimidation by government-controlled assets operating in this area," Carney said. Anti-Chinese violence flared in Vietnam this week after China put an oil rig in an spot claimed by Hanoi.
White House Urges Dialogue, Not Intimidation In China Rig Dispute
The White House said on Wednesday that a dispute between China and Vietnam that erupted within days of President Barack Obama's visit to Asia to address regional tensions needs to be resolved with dialogue, not intimidation. While the United States was not a party to the dispute, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama had repeatedly stressed on his trip last month the need for peaceful dialogue on various disputes involving China and the South China Sea. The renewed tension between Vietnam and China underscores one of the biggest challenges in Asia facing Obama, who is under pressure by America's allies to accelerate a "pivot" of military assets to the region to counter China's rising influence. Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula - and perceptions of limited U.S.
US Urges Dialogue in Chinese Oil Rig Dispute
The White House said on Wednesday that a dispute in the South China Sea over erection of a Chinese oil rig about 120 miles (193 km) off the Vietnam coast needs to be resolved through dialogue, not intimidation. Spokesman Jay Carney said the United States is not a party to the dispute but said President Barack Obama on a recent Asia tour had repeatedly stressed the need for peaceful dialogue on various disputes involving China and the South China Sea. The dispute over the South…
Obama: Philippines Pact No Threat to China
US says not planning to rebuild old bases or construct new ones. Obama says goal is not to contain China while Philippines' Aquino says Chinese shouldn't be concerned. President Barack Obama said a new military pact signed with the Philippines on Monday granting a larger presence for U.S. forces would bolster the Southeast Asian country's maritime security, but was not aimed at countering China's growing military might. The agreement, which will have an initial 10-year term, was touted as the highlight of Obama's first visit to the Philippines, the United States' oldest ally in the region. It sets the framework for a beefed-up rotation of U.S. troops, ships and warplanes through the Philippines, part of a rebalancing of U.S. resources towards fast-growing Asia and the Pacific.
Obama Offers US Aid to S.Korea Following Ferry Accident
U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday expressed condolences to the families of the victims of the South Korean ferry sinking and said the U.S. military will provide the country with any help it needs to perform rescue operations. Rescuers are battling strong waves and murky waters as they search for hundreds of people, many of them teenagers, who are still missing after the boat capsized about 12 miles (20 km) off the country's southwestern coast. The vessel was bound for the holiday island of Jeju with passengers and crew of 475.
