High Level US-China Talks on Maritime
US and Chinese diplomats have launched talks on maritime disputes as Washington pledged to pull no punches in seeking to resolve simmering problems between the two world powers.
So far, the discussions have been “candid and to the point” in dealing with the “most sensitive issues in the relationship,” a senior State Department official said.
The world’s two leading economies remain at odds over China’s claims to much of the South China Sea and Washington has repeatedly urged Beijing to stop building artificial islands in the key waterway.
But China said last month it will project its military power further beyond its borders at sea and more assertively in the air.
In the security talks, the U.S. also raised its concerns with China’s behavior in the South China Sea and encouraged diplomatic solutions to resolve tensions among rival claimants.
The U.S. also has objected to China’s construction and expansion of artificial islands and reefs to build military facilities.
Chinese officials have said the expansion projects are nearly completed, but U.S. officials remain concerned about possible military activities in the volatile waters of the South China Sea.
About 400 Chinese officials have converged on Washington for the annual talks now in their seventh year being hosted by Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, US officials said.
U.S. and Chinese officials are also discussing thorny issues including cyber security, military relations, missile defense, nuclear policy and space security.
Earlier at a briefing, the Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang said China would seek to “constructively handle and control” differences with the U.S. He said the dialogue will focus on preparations for President Xi Jinping’s visit to the U.S. in September.
