China media blasts US before Clinton’s Asia trip

Beijing, China – Chinese state media on Wednesday said an upcoming trip to Asia by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton aimed to “contain” China and accused Washington of causing trouble in the region.

A commentary by the state-run Xinhua news agency released before Clinton heads for the region voiced worries over the US “pivot” towards Asia.

“One objective of Clinton’s tour is to contain China’s increasing influence, but the core of US strategy is to defend its dominance and hegemony in the Asia-Pacific region,” it said.

On her third visit to Asia since May, Clinton is expected to warn China and its neighbours against the use of force, amid mounting tensions over sea disputes.

She is scheduled to travel to Beijing next week as part of the trip to meet China’s foreign minister Yang Jiechi.

The commentary accused the United States of trying to benefit from territorial disputes between Asian neighbours and alienate China from other countries.

“Washington’s approach is not conducive to the peaceful settlement of the disputes as well as the peace and stability in the area,” it said.

“Washington intends to benefit from stirring up disputes among nations in the Asia-Pacific, through which the US wants to resume its hegemony in the region.”

Friction has been rising both in the South China Sea, where Beijing is building a controversial new garrison, and in the East China Sea, where activists have sailed to islands claimed by both Japan and China.

Speaking Tuesday, US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said: “We don’t want to see the disputes in the South China Sea, or anywhere else, settled be intimidation, by force. We want to see them settled at the negotiating table.”

The Xinhua commentary said the United States should accept its power is declining and called it “unwise” for the country to consider China a rival.

“To be frank, US power is declining and it hasn’t enough economic strength or resources to dominate the Asia-Pacific region,” the commentary said.

“The US has to abandon its surreal ambition of ruling the Asia-Pacific region and the world.”

Clinton will leave on Thursday for the tiny Cook Islands to take part in the Pacific Islands Forum, leading the highest-level US delegation ever to attend the 41-year-old summit. – Agence France Presse