China’s foreign minister Wang Yi told the top US diplomat John Kerry on Saturday that the Beijing was unshakeable in its defence of sovereignty, as tensions between the powers mount over Chinese island-building in disputed waters of South China sea.
Addressing a joint press conference after the talks in Beijing, US Secretary of State Kerry said, Washington was concerned about the pace and scope of China’s land reclamation.
He urged the Chinese leadership to take actions that will join with everyone to reduce tensions.
Mr Kerry said the region needed smart diplomacy rather than outposts and military strips.
According to media reports, the United States is weighing sending warships and surveillance aircraft within 12 nautical miles of artificial islands that Beijing is building in the Sea.
Beijing regards almost the whole of the South China Sea as its own.
