China and the U.S. on freedom of the seas
In Vietnam, Defense Secretary Robert Gates stated the administration's position on Asia:
'On Tuesday, Gates echoed recent statements by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton that the United States would not take sides on competing Asian territorial claims but would insist on open access to international waters and shipping lanes."The United States has always exercised our rights and supported the rights of others to transit through, and operate in, international waters," Gates said. "This will not change."
Washington's stance has irked Beijing, and Chinese leaders have told the Obama administration to butt out of what it sees as local disputes.
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On the one hand, I think the U.S. position is the correct one with respect to navigating international waters, particularly given the amount of commerce that passes through Asia. On the other, it's worth remembering that with defense partnerships with Japan and budding relationships with other Asian states like Vietnam, we're taking defacto positions on these territorial disputes - against China.
It's also odd to hear the U.S. lecture China on what it can and cannot declare as a core interest. The U.S. takes a much more expansive view of its "core interests" than any other country on the planet, including China, so it's little wonder that our insistences with respect to the South China Sea grate on the ears of the Chinese military.
(AP Photo)