KUALA LUMPUR -- Increasingly unhappy with China's "behaviour" in the South China Sea, the United States (US) says it will continue to cooperate with countries in the Indo- Pacific (Asia Pacific) region to ensure the busy maritime trade and resources-rich region remains free and open.
The continuing unease with China stems from the latest incident last Friday when a US Navy jet flying over the Spratly chain of islands was issued a warning by the Chinese military and told to leave the area immediately.
US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian Pacific Security Affairs, Randall G. Schriver said there had been an increase in that type of "behaviour" from China.
“This kind of behaviour from China has been directed not only at US surface and maritime aircraft but to other countries as well, operating lawfully in the area,” he said during a media roundtable here on Tuesday.
"It's part of a pattern of behaviour. It started with the line reclamation and the militarisation of the outpost and now we are seeing efforts to limit the ability of countries to operate lawfully in that area.
“So, it's telling of China's ultimate aim, which is not to support freedom of navigation but to exert control and place limitations on our ability to operate there."
Earlier, Schriver called on Malaysia's newly-minted Defence Deputy Minister, Senator Liew Chin Tong, and the Chief of Naval Operations. He is the first senior official from the US Defence to visit Malaysia since the new government came into effect in Malaysia.
Describing his visit to the region as keeping a check on the "temperature” of regional security, Schriver said the US would look at how best to help the countries in the region towards stronger maritime security dynamics.
The US is expected to use its recently pledged US$300 million funding for the region on a country-by- country case basis and these could be anything from training programmes to equipment and capacity building. Among the priority countries for the fund are Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.
On whether any country had sought US assistance, he said that one country did, but declined to elaborate.
The South China Sea remains a disputed territory, with China claiming huge parts while other claimants are Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.
On one of the points proposed by China in the draft of the negotiating text of the South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC) recently agreed upon by ASEAN and China, that "the parties shall not hold joint military exercises with countries from outside the region, unless the parties concerned were notified beforehand and expressed no objection," Shriver said the US would be watching its progress.
He also added that the COC should be inclusive and not contradict international law and freedom of navigation in international waters.
On Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's stance in not wishing to see warships in the Straits of Melaka, he said the US would respect this.
Shriver said the US was also looking outside the military basket for solutions to disputes, and towards more diplomatic aspects and strengthen its claims peacefully and legally.
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