The powerful China national government claimed that they already halted their land reclamation in the hotly-contested South China Sea on their bid to defuse the escalating war of words over Asia’s most controversial islands. They insisted on efforts to promote peace and stability in the area.
In an interview with international reporters during the sidelines of the ongoing ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi was quoted as saying “China has already stopped. You look, who is building? Take a plane and look for yourself,” China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters.
The declaration of Wang Yi came almost two months after China announced to the media that the reclamation work in disputed areas were already nearing completion.
In a report posted by Associated Press (AP) last June 16, the Chinese Foreign Minister was quoted as saying “It is learned from relevant Chinese competent departments that, as planned, the land reclamation project of China’s construction on some stationed islands and reefs of the Nansha Islands will be completed in the upcoming days,” AP reported quoting a statement on Chinese Foreign Ministry website.
The South China Sea spat involving China and other southeast Asian countries is dominating the Asean meetings because four member countries – Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei – are also claimants.
The claimant countries have since been working to draw up an official and binding Code of Conduct (CoC) to further promote peace and stability.
