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…
White House Says No Issue With Biden's Son - Ukraine Co.
The White House on Tuesday brushed aside questions about whether the involvement of Vice President Joe Biden's son in a Ukrainian natural gas company raised ethical issues at a time when the administration is promoting energy diversity in the country. R. Hunter Biden, a lawyer and a partner in an investment firm, was named this week to the board of directors of Burisma Holdings, a private company that has drilled for natural gas in Ukraine since 2002. In a statement on Burisma's website, Hunter Biden said he would help the company with "transparency, corporate governance and responsibility, international expansion," and other issues.
Admiral Provides Details of Somali Piracy Killings
Four pirates are dead and 15 are in custody, but not before they killed four Americans in the bloodiest piracy incident in recent history, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command told reporters in a conference call. Navy Vice Adm. Mark I. Fox, who also commands the Navy’s 5th Fleet, said the pirates shot Scott and Jean Adams of California and Phyllis Mackay and Bob Riggle of Washington state. The surface vessel Quest was sailing around the world when the Somalis hijacked it off the coast of Oman. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters on Air Force One that President Barack Obama authorized the use of force if there was an imminent threat to the hostages. He said the president was informed of their deaths at 4:42 this morning.
