Chinese foreign minister indirectly accuses US of 'stirring trouble' in SCS

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday indirectly accused the US of stirring trouble in the South China Sea with its repeated military incursions.

"Some outside forces are not in line with the prevailing calm and are trying to stir up trouble in the waters with their frequent show of force with fully armed aircraft and vessels," Efe news quoted Wang as saying at a press conference while reviewing the main challenges that China's foreign policy faced over the past year.

"Militarisation is the most destabilising factor in the region," Wang pointed out.

He stressed that despite the ongoing disputes that China maintains with other countries of the region - Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Taiwan - over the sovereignty of South China Sea waters and islands, progress is being made in negotiating a code of conduct in the region.

"Last week officials held a round of consultation on the code of conduct and made encouraging progress. At least three more rounds have been organized for the rest of the year," said Wang.

"China and the Asean countries will speed up the code of conduct consultations, explore cooperation among coastal states and promote peace and cooperation in the South China Sea," he concluded.