TEHRAN, November 10 - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called on China to stop what Washington claims to be militarization of the disputed South China Sea.
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TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - “We have continued concerns about China's activities and militarization in the South China Sea,” Pompeo said on Friday. “We pressed China to live up to its past commitments in this area."
Beijing has repeatedly asserted its sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, which serves as a crossing for more that $5 trillion worth of maritime trade annually. The sea is also claimed in part by the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan.
The remarks by Pompeo came at a press conference he and Defense Secretary James Mattis held with their Chinese counterparts following their meeting in Washington.
Pompeo and Mattis held talks with Chinese Foreign Affairs Director Yang Jiechi and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe at the State Department in a meeting aimed at reducing tensions over a range of political and military issues.
The meeting was due to be held last month but was postponed after Washington imposed sanctions on the Chinese army for buying Russian weapons and announced new arms deals with Taiwan.
Source: Press TV