US Defense chief Carter to cruise on US warship near disputed sea

(Updated 5:56 p.m.) KUALA LUMPUR - US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and his Malaysian counterpart will cruise on the USS Theodore Roosevelt on Thursday, a US defense official said, for a voyage likely to highlight tension over rival claims in the South China Sea.

There was no information about where the US warship would sail but it has been on patrol in the South China Sea where territorial disputes between China and several of its neighbors have raised fears of conflict.

Carter and the Malaysian minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, have been attending a regional defence ministers' meeting in Malaysia, along with the Chinese defense chief, where differences over the South china Sea surfaced.

Meanwhile, Carter also held a bilateral meeting with with Philippines Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin at the sidelines of the meet.

The Philippines is one of the countries with overlapping claims with China over territories in the South China Sea.

The country has filed a case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration against China's claims, that the Phlippines said were excessive and illegal.

According to statements by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook, Carter also held bilateral meetings with the defense ministers of China, Japan, India, Singapore, and Thailand.

Gazmin and Carter reaffirmed the strength of the US-Philippines alliance and the enduring ties between the two nations.

According to a post on the US DOD website, Gazmin expressed Philippine support for U.S. forces’ activities in the South China Sea, and welcomed closer cooperation with the United States in Philippine force modernization efforts.

Carter welcomed the opportunity to discuss regional security issues with one of America’s closest allies in the Asia-Pacific and stressed that the U.S. commitment to defend the Philippines is ironclad.

US-China talks

In his discussion with Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan, Carter identified two security issues still affecting U.S.-China relations—tensions in the South China Sea and disagreements in cyberspace.

Carter stressed that the US took no position on maritime disputes in the South China Sea, which he said should be resolved peacefully.

He called on all parties to permanently halt reclamation and militarization activities, and noted Chinese President Xi Jingping’s statement during his recent state visit that China is "committed to respecting and upholding the freedom of navigation and overflight that countries enjoy according to international law," and that "China does not intend to pursue militarization."

Carter affirmed to the minister that the U.S. will continue to defend the principle of freedom of navigation, and will continue to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows. — Reuters with Agence France-Presse and GMA News Online