China asks US not to side with any party in SCS disputes

China today asked the US to live up to its promise to refrain from siding with any particular side involved in sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea.
The US has pledged not to side with any parties involved in the disputes during the fifth round of annual China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED), Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement.
"China hopes the United States will respect the facts and not side with any particular party," she said.
China emphasised its determination to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, as well as its commitment to resolve disputes with concerned nations through negotiation, Hua said.

China reaffirmed its position on the disputes at the dialogue, which concluded in Washington yesterday.
She expressed hope that concerned nations can keep their promises and properly handle the disputes through bilateral negotiations with China, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
"This is what we are advocating and also what we are doing," Hua said.
China claims all most all of South China Sea as its own, a claim disputed by Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia.