DEFENSE_ Aust urge China to halt island building

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Aust urge China to halt island building


By Max Blenkin, AAP Defence Correspondent
October 14, 2015, 5:35 pm

Photo: The battle against IS extremists has dominated the Australia-US Ministerial talks in Boston.

Australia and the US have urged China to halt its artificial island building in the South China Sea and to permit free ship movement and aircraft overflights near its outposts.

In tough talking at the annual Australia-US ministerial meeting in Boston, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Australia would hold China to its undertaking not to militarise the Spratly Islands.

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the US would fly and sail wherever international law permitted and would do so at a time and place of its choosing, whether that be in the Arctic or the South China Sea.

Australia and the US already have close military ties but that's to be stepped up, with the signing of a new statement on long-term defence links.

Naval co-operation will be boosted with additional training and exercises, particularly for amphibious operations and "maritime domain awareness".

That would appear to relate to Australia's growing ability to conduct long-range sea surveillance with soon-to-be-acquired P-8A Poseidon aircraft and Triton drones, potentially into the South China Sea.

The two nations will also strengthen co-operation in cyberspace, declaring that international law applies to state conduct in the cyber domain, another reference to China, long accused of rampant cyber theft.

"No country should conduct or knowingly support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, including trade secrets or other confidential business information with the intent of providing competitive advantage to companies or commercial sectors," they said in the joint communique.

Nations bordering the South China Sea have overlapping territorial claims, mainly because of oil and gas deposits.

China inflamed tensions when it started building its own islands on disputed reefs, adding airstrips, radar and communications and defence systems, plus troops.

China insists the 12-nautical mile territorial limit applies. The US points to international law, which says it doesn't for artificial islands.

Media reports indicate the US could be preparing to test the free navigation principle by sailing within 12 nautical miles of one of China's islands.

The New York Times said the US hadn't ventured that close to Chinese-occupied islands since 2012.

The US wasn't prepared to confirm that. Neither would Australian ministers say whether Australia would participate.

But both sides delivered a strong message to China about freedom of navigation near its home-made islands, urging a halt to further reclamation and militarisation.

Ms Bishop said Australia had a deep interest in the South China Sea because about two-thirds of merchandise trade passed through those seas.

She said the US was involved in naval patrols in that area all the time.

Australia welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping's statement that China did not intend to militarise the Spratly Islands.

"And we'll hold China to it," she said.

Mr Carter said uncertainty and excessive military activity in the South China Sea was increasing demand from regional nations, including Vietnam, India, the Philippines and Japan, for additional US maritime co-operation.

"And we are committed to meeting that demand," he said.

In a statement released following AUSMIN, China's embassy in Canberra accused the US and Australia of adding fuel to the flames rather than promoting regional stability, the ABC reported.

China urged both sides to stop applying double standard.

"It would be more helpful if they could honour their commitment of not taking sides on relevant disputes and do more to promote regional peace and stability in the true sense of the words rather than light a fire and add fuel to the flames," the statement said.

AAP

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