Trying to avoid war, US and China build uneasy alliance

After building islands, lighthouses and a runway in disputed areas of the South China Sea, Beijing officials say they’re ready to stop construction. Lu Kang, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, issued a statement on 16 June, saying the work – or at least some of it – would soon be “completed”.
US officials sound underwhelmed. (They “noted” the Chinese announcement, according to Reuters.) Still the timing is good – and is not accidental.
Next week Chinese officials will meet with Americans in Washington for a conference, the Strategic and Economic Dialogue. The subject of the South China Sea is likely to come up.
It’ll also be on the agenda in September when President Xi Jinping of China comes to Washington.
Americans say the Chinese have created more than 2,000 acres (809 ha) of new territory in the South China Sea, claiming these areas as their own.

 

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