At the second U. S.-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue, the U. S. called on China to withdraw its missiles from the South China Sea.
In a statement released at the conclusion of the recently held second annual U. S.-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue, the United States called on China to remove deployed missiles from its artificial islands in a disputed portion of the South China Sea.
“The United States called on China to withdraw its missile systems from disputed features in the Spratly Islands, and reaffirmed that all countries should avoid addressing disputes through coercion or intimidation,” the U. S. statement said.
The statement follows the conclusion of a high-level meeting between U. S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, U. S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs of the Central Commission of the Communist Party of China and Politburo member Yang Jiechi, and State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe on diplomatic and security matters between the two countries.
The Diplomatic and Security Dialogue had originally been slated for October, but was postponed amid broader tensions in the U. S.-China relationship stemming from the ongoing trade war between the two countries, U. S. approval of a probable arms sale to Taiwan, a near-collision between a U. S. and Chinese destroyer in the South China Sea, and U. S. imposition of sanctions on a People’s Liberation Army procurement organ in relation to China’s purchase of Russian defense hardware.
In addition to the call on China to remove missiles from the South China Sea, the statement noted that both sides “committed to support peace and stability in the South China Sea, the peaceful resolution of disputes, and freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea in accordance with international law.
