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                  China-US Tensions Heat Up Over Disputed Sea

   by Shannon Van Sant

   Chinese state media accuse the United States of inflaming tensions in
   the South China Sea as Secretary of State John Kerry wraps up his trip
   to the region during which the U.S. and China exhanged verbal blows
   over the resource-rich waterway.

   Both countries have lodged accusations over actions in the South China
   Sea, which is contested by China and several other Asian nations.
   China's state-run People's Daily newspaper said the United States was
   emboldening its Asian neighbors in claims to the water way, which is
   rich in natural resources and one of the busiest shipping routes in
   Asia.

   ''The People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party, said "the
   U.S. position is making the Philippines confident of winning the South
   China Sea dispute."  The China Daily newspaper said "the United States
   is fishing in troubled waters" and encouraging "countries such as the
   Philippines and Vietnam to take blatant moves."

   Rhetoric heats up
   Xiaohe Cheng, a Professor of International Relations at Renmin
   University, said the South China Sea dispute is testing relations
   between China and the United States.

   "That's the bad signs of China and U.S. relations, particularly when
   two countries try hard to build a so-called new model of country
   relations, and the rhetoric in Washington and Beijing against each
   other is heating up," he noted.

   This week Washington accused Beijing of fomenting instability in Asia
   through its aggressive actions and proposed a voluntary freeze on
   provocations in the region.

   China refused to abide by the freeze and said the United States' pivot
   to Asia is sowing instability.  More than 1,000 U.S. Marines are
   stationed in Australia, and that number is expected to grow to 2,500 by
   2017.   Xiaohe Cheng explained how China views the U.S. actions.
   "The United States just inked new security deals with Australia, and
   the U.S. is attempting to establish a permanent military base in
   Australia.  And all of these words and acts have been perceived by
   Chinese as some kind of move to contain China," Xiaohe Cheng said.

   Growing influence
   But China's growing influence in the region has sparked tensions with
   its neighbors, prompting prominent members of the Communist Party of
   Vietnam to write a letter to Vietnamese leaders calling for reforms to
   diminish the country's reliance on China.  Earlier this year the
   deployment of a billion-dollar Chinese oil rig in the South China Sea,
   in waters claimed by both countries, sparked violent protests in
   Vietnam.

   Xiaohe Cheng said tensions still remain. "I think it's probably too
   early to say the nightmare is over between China and Vietnam," he said.

   The State Department said it is calling for a de-escalation of tensions
   and the timely negotiation of a meaningful Code of Conduct for
   countries' actions in the South China Sea.  China and ASEAN have been
   working on a Code of Conduct for more than a decade.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/china-us-tensions-rise-over-south-chi
   na-sea/2411768.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/china-us-tensions-rise-over-south-china-sea/2411768.html