China wants US to stay out of South China Sea dispute

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao rebuffed US President Barack Obama’s offer to resolve a territorial dispute in the possibly oil-rich South China Sea, and implied that the US should have no role in negotiating a solution, Reuters reported. Wen said the dispute should be resolved among the countries involved “through friendly consultation and negotiation,” according to Xinhua. The state-owned news agency further said, “Any attempt by outside forces to internationalize the issue will only make it more complicated and undermine peace and stability in the region.” The remarks came as the East Asian Summit (EAS) in Indonesia drew to a close, ending with a private meeting between Wen and Obama. China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei all claim rights to parts of sea lanes in the South China Sea, which carries about US$5 trillion in maritime trade each year and may contain significant natural resource deposits.