China raps Australia foreign minister ahead of Beijing trip

Feb 17, 2016, 00:41

The Paracels, which are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, sit north-west of the Spratlys chain, where China's island-building programme has prompted protests from the U.S. and countries with overlapping claims. "I think that would relieve some of the angst that we are now seeing, that we are unsure where they are taking this", Aucoin said. Chinese and regional security analysts expect Beijing to start using its new runways in the disputed Spratlys archipelago for military operations in the next few months. "We have always adhered to the principle of "Five Persistence", which stands for persistence in maintaining the peace and stability of SCS; persistence in settling disputes with the party concerned according to the global laws via bilateral negotiation based on respect for historical facts; persistence in relying on rule-based system to control disputes; persistence in sustaining the freedom of flight and navigation in SCS", it added.

"During the Lassen one it was apparent that they were being controlled, that they weren't operating independently, and that is something that is in our calculus now", Aucoin said of the Chinese boats. "It's a destabilizing uncertainty", he said when asked about the impact of possible Chinese jet fighter patrols. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan also claim parts of the waterway.

Meanwhile, the Indian Defence Ministry described the report about the Indo-US discussion on joint naval patrolling as "highly speculative", saying that the South Asian country had never conducted joint patrols with any country and there would be no change in its policy.

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He will either leave by a political process or he will be removed by force", Adel al-Jubeir told CNN. US President Barack Obama has ruled out sending US ground troops to Syria.

It is regrettable that some USA politicians should take as priority the South China Sea issue at Monday's special summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Chinese characters read, "Peaceful South China Sea".

"China's construction of the islands aims to provide more public good to the worldwide community, facilitating search and rescue and medical operations", spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular news briefing.

USA officials have repeatedly requested China and others to stop reclaiming land and halt the militarisation of the area.

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And Democrats in the November elections will only have to defend 10 seats, while Republicans are on the line for 24 seats. If the vote to end debate fails to garner at least 60 votes, debate continues, which is known as a filibuster .

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and his Australian counterpart, Julie Bishop, have agreed that the two countries will cooperate to ensure the U.N. Security Council adopts a resolution swiftly to impose stronger sanctions against North Korea in response to Pyongyang's latest nuclear test and apparent missile launch.

Thomson ReutersAustralian Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop looks on during a ministerial meeting regarding the Islamic State group in RomeTOKYO (Reuters) - Recent economic and political volatility in Asia and the rest of the world are spurring closer strategic cooperation between Tokyo and Canberra, Australia's Foreign Minister said on Tuesday. The degree of defensive facilities depends on how much China is under threat, he said.

However, Mr Hong said the rights of other countries to sail through and fly over the area had not been affected by any of China's recent construction activity.

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The Dutchman said on Sunday he thought reports of negotiations between United and Mourinho were an invention of the media. It was Mourinho who signed the Frenchman from Lens in 2011 and he has always regarded him highly.