China Rebukes U.S. Navy Commander

China has criticized remarks made by Vice Admiral Robert Thomas of the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet, after he suggested that Southeast Asian nations should combine forces to patrol parts of the South China Sea. Thomas said his fleet would lend its support to the endeavor.

“We hope the United States will strictly honor its commitment of not taking positions or sides on territorial sovereignty issues,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei in response to the remarks, reports China Daily.

Hong said the comments made by Thomas will not help resolve the territorial disputes in the sea and will not aid peace and stability in the region. China remains committed to resolving the disputes through negotiations and consultations with the countries directly involved.

Thomas made the remarks at a maritime exhibition in Malaysia, saying the nations could streamline cooperation on maritime security while respecting sovereignty as is done with counter-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden, reports The Japan Times.

“Perhaps easier said than done, from both a policy and organization perspective, such an initiative could help crystallize the operational objectives in the training events that ASEAN navies want to pursue,” Thomas reportedly said at a panel session. “If ASEAN members were to take the lead in organizing something along those lines, trust me, the U.S. 7th Fleet would be ready to support.” 

ASEAN nation Vietnam claims some of the disputed territory in the South China Sea, and the nation has reaffirmed its desire to avoid the use of unilateral force in the region this week. “We agreed ... [to] exercise self-restraint and refrain from actions that may escalate tensions in the region, including the use of force to unilaterally change the status quo,” Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told Australia’s prime minister, reports the South China Morning Post.

China agreed to talks with ASEAN over a code of conduct for the South China Sea in July 2013, but little progress has been made. ASEAN has consistently called for restraint on the South China Sea issue and asked its nations to preserve freedom of navigation. The 10-member group has avoided singling out China, its largest trading partner, over the issue.