‘South China Sea not a battle between US and China’

The Commander of the US Navy’s 7th Fleet said Monday that he is wary of the situation in the South China Sea being painted as a battle between the United States and China, but added the presence of a Chinese missile system on a disputed island will not stop the US military from flying over the region.

US Navy Vice-Admiral Joseph Aucoin’s comments come a week after it was revealed that Beijing had deployed surface-to-air missiles on an island in the fiercely contested region. “I wish it wasn’t portrayed as US versus China,” Adm. Aucoin said. “This shouldn’t seem provocative. What we’re trying to ensure is that all countries, no matter size or strength, can pursue their interests based on the law of the sea and not have that endangered by some of these actions.”

Meanwhile, China’s foreign minister Wang Yi will visit the US from Tuesday, as the two powers grapple over weapons systems on the Korean peninsula and in the South China Sea. The three-day trip comes with Beijing and Washington at loggerheads over militarisation in the South China Sea.