China to US: stay out of negotiation on sea row

WASHINGTON — the united states shouldn’t obstruct efforts by way of China and its buddies to agree on a code of conduct inside the disputed South China Sea, China’s ambassador said on Monday as US President Donald Trump prepared for his first professional go to to Asia.

Ambassador Cui Tiankai said america had no territorial claim within the South China Sea and ought to allow international locations inside the location manage their disputes in a “friendly and powerful manner.”

Beijing’s island-building within the South China Sea has drawn grievance from Washington, which says it has a country wide hobby in freedom of navigation in sea-lanes critical for world alternate.

US Secretary of kingdom Rex Tillerson this month said China’s “provocative actions” challenged global law and norms.

Efforts to forge a legally binding code of behavior between China and the numerous individuals of the 10-kingdom affiliation of Southeast Asian nations (Asean) have long been stymied with the aid of Beijing’s reluctance to barter with nations as a bloc and differences inside Asean itself.

Singapore’s high Minister Lee Hsien Loong ultimate week stated the negotiations were possibly to take years.

Cui implied that Washington changed into making that extra hard.

“I assume it’d actually be better if others along with the usa might now not try and intrude in this positive system, might no longer try to create boundaries to early agreement at the [code of conduct],” he informed journalists on the chinese Embassy in Washington.

“I assume that this is our hope. this is also the hope of the Asean international locations,” he brought.

Cui became previewing China’s arrangements for Trump’s five-kingdom journey to Asia that includes a kingdom visit to China.