Washington: The Pentagon today asked China to stop its unilateral and destabilising actions such as land reclamations by creating artificial islands to ease tension in the busy South China Sea, saying the US “shares an interest with the region.”
“China’s stated intentions with its programme, and continued construction, will not reduce tensions or lead to a meaningful diplomatic solution,” Department of Defence spokesman Bill Urban said.
“We continue to impress upon China, as we do with all claimants, that the only way to ease tensions is to stop unilateral, destabilising actions,” he said.
Urban said the US believes that a permanent, reciprocal halt among claimants to land reclamation, new construction, and further militarisation of outposts would ease tensions and create space for diplomatic solutions.