Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai reiterated Wednesday that Washington has no right whatsoever to intervene in the legitimate activities conducted by China in the South China Sea, while urging related parties to resolve the disputes through diplomatic talks.
In an interview with Washington-based Chinese media outlets, Cui slammed what he called double standards adopted by the United States when it comes to the land reclamation activities in the region.
While pointing an accusing finger at China, Washington has chosen to keep silent on earlier such activities conducted by some other countries which illegally occupied Chinese islands and reefs, he said.
Cui rebuked the claim made by some U.S. lawmakers at a Senate hearing Wednesday that China is raising tensions in the South China Sea, citing that it was the active intervention by the United States in the maritime disputes that has actually created tensions in the area.
The veteran Chinese diplomat also criticized the U.S. plan to send military planes and ships to assert "freedom of navigation" around China-owned islands and reefs in the South China Sea.
"The Cold-War mentality, which is prone to the use of force to resolve disputes, is already outdated."
He said China has been consistent in strongly opposing the high-intensity close-in reconnaissance activities conducted by U.S. military against China in the latter's costal waters and Special Economic Zones, because no country is given the right to do so under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Commenting on the plan by the Philippines to open more of its military bases to U.S. military in an attempt to deter China, Cui stressed that territorial disputes in the Asia Pacific cannot be resolved through the use of military power, or setting up military bases, which is against the popular trend in the 21st century.
"I hope the Philippines can make a right choice" by not moving forward with the plan, he said.
The diplomat noted that China has a good record of constructively seeking to resolve territorial disputes through diplomatic talks, as demonstrated by the deals Beijing has reached with 12 neighboring countries with common borders on land.
On the upcoming visit to China by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry this weekend, Cui said there will be many issues on the agenda of the bilateral talks, including the South China Sea.
He believed that China and the United States can cooperate on most of the issues, despite some disputes. Through negotiations and consultations, they will have more cooperations than differences in the end.
"Despite the existence of some differences, the more popular thought is that China and the United States can achieve a win-win result only through cooperation."
