China's foreign minister declares an "ease" in the South China Sea tension in the wake of President Xi Jinping's meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit.
According to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as first reported in China Daily, the talk between the two leaders that lasted one and a half hour had positive effects on the heightened tensions related to the territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
The Meeting
The internationally monitored meeting between Obama and Xi finally occurred on Thursday, March 31, while the two leaders attended this year's NSS.
The meeting was an unrelated activity with the event, but it became one of the highlights of the summit especially after China's foreign minister revealed the gist of what the two most powerful men on the planet talked about.
"The Americans have said that they will not take sides (in the South China Sea issue), so it should not be a problem for the China-U.S. relationship," Wang declared, adding that China is confident that even the next president of the United States would want to retain the warming relations between their countries.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed economic policies, nuclear security cooperation related to North Korea, and certain maritime issues that involve some of China's disputed territories.
According to China Daily, the Chinese president acknowledged the U.S.'s different view on the matter of their territories and admitted that it is important for all sides to participate in a dialogue to resolve the dilemma peacefully.
Disputed Territory
According to the International Business Times, the South China Sea serves as passage for over $5 billion worth of trade with a bonus of vast undersea resources.
Taking this into consideration, it is not surprising that China--one of the world's biggest countries--would declare "exclusion zone" as it navigates privileges it can claim under international law.
However, many other Asian countries including Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines have placed claims on different parts of the region that it sparked a long-running dispute on who holds the territorial power over the contested areas.
While China appears to be outnumbered, it goes without saying that the country is more powerful than the smaller nations claiming territory in the South China Sea.
Because of this, the U.S. government seemed to have taken the responsibility of intervening, something which China is not happy about.
In fact, Chinese President Xi warned Obama not to do anything rash in the guise of "freedom of navigation" ahead of their meeting during the NSS.