US and Chinese Defense Ministers Meet
Yahoo! News reports:
HANOI (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Tuesday called on Asian-Pacific defense chiefs to avoid resorting to "force or coercion" to settle territorial disputes, in a veiled warning that appeared aimed at China.
He also said territorial disputes and maritime claims were a growing challenge to stability in the region.
But Gates, in remarks at a meeting of defense ministers in Vietnam's capital Hanoi, avoided singling out China by name -- a possible gesture toward rebuilding still-fragile U.S. defense ties with Beijing.
"The United States does not take sides in competing territorial claims, such as those in the South China Sea," Gates said. "Competing claims should be settled peacefully without force or coercion."
Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam all claim parts of the potentially oil and gas rich South China Sea. Beijing effectively claims the whole maritime area.
Territorial frictions with China further north grabbed headlines last month after Japan detained the captain of a Chinese fishing boat that collided with Japanese patrol vessels off disputed islands.
Beijing suspended some contact with Tokyo in response and industry sources said it halted shipments of rare earth metals vital for electronics and car parts, despite China's denials.
"Disagreements over territorial claims and the appropriate use of the maritime domain appear to be a growing challenge to regional stability and prosperity," Gates said in a closed-door session, according to prepared remarks.
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