Barack Obama ups pressure on China at Apec

Philippines President Benigno Aquino is joined by leaders and their spouses (from left) for a leaders’ family photo at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit welcome dinner in Manila on Wednesday. — AFP,AP

US President Barack Obama on Wednesday demanded China end artificial island building in the hotly contested South China Sea, upping the pressure on Beijing at a regional leaders’ summit.

The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) gathering is meant to forge unity on trade among 21 Pacific rim economies that group three billion people. But the territorial row over the strategically vital South China Sea, as well as terrorism concerns following last week’s deadly Paris rampage, have dominated the build-up to this year’s meeting in the Philippines.

China has repeatedly insisted its disputes with its Asian neighbours over the sea, home to some of the world’s most important shipping routes, should not be on the Apec agenda. But just hours before the two-day summit started, Mr Obama voiced concerns over giant land reclamation works by China that have created new islands close to the Philippines.

“We discussed the impact of China’s land reclamation and construction activities on regional stability,” Mr Obama said. “We agree on the need for bold steps to lower tensions, including pledging to halt further reclamation, new construction, and militarisation of disputed areas in the South China Sea.”

China reacted angrily on Wednesday to Obama’s efforts to bolster US allies in the dispute, as it insisted its construction work in the contested areas was “lawful, justified and reasonable”. “If there is something that should stop, it is the United States should stop playing up the South China Sea issue, stop heightening tensions in the South China Sea,” foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in Beijing. “No country has the right to point fingers at” China’s construction activities, he added.

Meanwhile, the Phili-ppines and Vietnam signed a strategic partnership on Tuesday deepening security ties in the face of Beijing’s increased asserti-veness in the disputed Sou-th China Sea. Philippine leader Benigno Aquino and Vietnamese President Tru-ong Tan Sang expressed concern over tensions in the sea — which Hanoi calls the East Sea — home to some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

“Mr President (Aquino) and I shared our concerns over the recent developments in the East Sea, or the South China Sea, affecting trust, peace, security and stability in the region,” Mr Sang said.