China came under mounting pressure today over its land reclamation in the South China Sea with both the US and Japan criticising it for militarising the disputed waters.
US Secretary of State John Kerry raised the issue during a meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of a regional diplomatic gathering in Malaysia that has been dominated by tensions over the Chinese moves.
"Secretary Kerry reiterated his concern about rising tensions over disputed claims in the South China Sea and China's large-scale reclamation, construction and militarisation of features there," a senior State Department official told reporters.
"He encouraged China, along with the other claimants, to halt problematic actions in order to create space for diplomacy."
The Asian giant has sparked alarm by expanding tiny reefs in the flashpoint sea and constructing military posts on some of them to try to shore up its territorial claims.
The United States and Southeast Asian nations have called for a halt to such activities, but China has refused.
Southeast Asian foreign ministers warned yesterday after they met in Kuala Lumpur that China's moves were raising regional tensions, with the Philippines slamming Beijing's "unilateral and aggressive activities".
State Minister Minoru Kiuchi, Japan's envoy to the talks, told delegates to the forum today he had "deep concern over... large-scale land reclamation, the construction of outposts and their use for military purposes", according to a Japanese government statement.
Tokyo is locked in a confrontation of its own with Beijing over disputed islands in the East China Sea.
The annual gathering is hosted by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and includes countries from across Asia, the United States, Russia and elsewhere. It continues until tomorrow.
Beijing claims control over nearly the entire South China Sea, a key shipping route thought to hold rich oil and gas reserves.
Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei -- all ASEAN members -- also have various claims as does Taiwan, many of which overlap.
China's neighbours have increasingly chafed at what is seen as mounting violations by Beijing of a regional pledge not to take actions that could stoke conflict.
Before their meeting, Kerry had said he and Wang would also discuss a range of bilateral issues including plans for a September US visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping and China's "great cooperation" on the recent Iran nuclear deal.
A US diplomat also said Kerry would meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov later today to "discuss a range of issues of mutual concern".
