Obama Raises Maritime Concerns with China

 

"The president raised ongoing U.S. concerns about China's maritime behavior, and he urged China to take concrete steps to lower tensions," the White House said in a statement. 

 

The high-level talks in Washington were a prelude to Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to the U.S. this fall, and ended with both sides saying they are stepping up cooperation on preserving the ocean and combating illegal fishing. 

 

Secretary of State John Kerry said that shows the two nations are "working hard to address differences and to find the areas of commonality."

 

Kerry said they would expand cooperation among coast guard and law enforcement authorities to uphold international standards. He did not provide details.

 

China's top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi said: "Navigation freedom in the South China Sea is guaranteed. We do believe that there will not be any issue or problem with navigational freedom in future. We hope the US can be impartial and objective to serve peace and stability in this region."

 

He said they have "broad common interests in global maritime governance" and that they could jointly build a "peaceful and tranquil" marine environment.