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China rebukes US 'microphone diplomacy,' suggests 'proper way' of handling differences

China rebukes US 'microphone diplomacy,' suggests 'proper way' of handling differences
Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015 (Reuters / US Navy) © Reuters

The US and China should settle their differences 'in a proper way' and not resort to 'microphone diplomacy,' a senior Chinese diplomat has said. The US is irritated by Chinese land reclamation in the South China Sea.

Changing the way the two countries deal with their conflict points would secure a successful visit by President Xi Jinping to the US this year, Wu Xi, deputy chief of mission at the Chinese embassy in Washington said.

"Resorting to microphone diplomacy, or pointing fingers at each other, will not solve any problems," Wu told a meeting on Capitol Hill to mark the 10th anniversary of the US Congress's US-China Working Group.

"The right choice is to recognize our differences, respect each other and engage in real dialogue," she added. "The choice we make today will decide the future of our two great nations, as well as the entire world."

"We need to address our differences in a proper way," she told the media.

Wu was referring to the tensions between US and China over its increasing presence in the contested region of the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands. Beijing claims sovereignty over the area in contradiction with several other nations, including key US allies in the region.

Supporting its presence in the region, China has reclaimed some 2,000 acres of land in the South China Sea over the last 18 months, converting submerged reefs and rocks into new islands on an industrial scale. Other players such as the Philippines and Vietnam did the same, although at a much slower pace. The new Chinese Islands host harbors, piers and even airfields, including a 3-kilometer runway capable of handling any aircraft the Chinese military have in service.

Wu Xi, Minister of the Chinese Embassy in the United States (Image from china-embassy.org)

Washington sees such moves as “out of step,” citing Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. Its regional allies sometimes use stronger words. The president of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino III, compared Beijing's land reclamation with the annexation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany in a speech this month.