China slams US resolution on South, East China Sea disputes

China today said it opposes a US Senate resolution on disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea as it wrongly blamed the country, disregarding facts.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the resolution places blame on the Chinese side without regard for history and facts, "sending a wrong message."
The US Senate approved the resolution on Monday, "reaffirming the strong support of the United States for the peaceful resolution of territorial, sovereignty and jurisdictional disputes in the Asia-Pacific maritime domains."
The resolution puts pressure on China in regards to territorial disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea.

"The disputed islands in the East China Sea and in the South China Sea, are both part of China's territory and have been since ancient times. Due to historical factors, however, some of China's neighbours have disputed China's ownership of the islands," state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Hua as saying.
Relations between China and Japan soured following the Japanese government's unilateral move to "nationalise" part of the islands in the East China Sea, last September.

In the South China Sea, a Philippine warship entered waters off disputed island under the pretext of "protecting sovereignty" to harass Chinese fishermen who were taking shelter in a lagoon during a storm in April 2012, Hua said.

The Philippines also recently sent fresh troops and supplies to the Ren'ai Reef, where it grounded a warship illegally in 1999.
Despite China's repeated requests that it tow the ship, the Philippines has failed to honour its commitment to do so, citing "technical problems", Hua said.
However, Manila accused China of "encroaching on its territory" after Chinese maritime surveillance ships patrolled waters near the Ren'ai Reef, she said.
The Chinese side is strongly opposed to the US Senate resolution and "has lodged solemn representations to the US side," Hua said.
"We urge relevant US senators to respect the facts and correct their mistakes so as not to make matters and the regional situation more complicated," she added.