Washington seeks to create new waves in S.China Sea

The US is the latest country to make a fuss over China's new city of Sansha after the Philippines and Vietnam.

On Tuesday, US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland voiced the US' "concern" over China's "unilateral moves," while John McCain, the US senator of Arizona, claimed China's moves were "unnecessarily provocative."

Though the White House has previously indicated that the US would not take sides in South China Sea disputes, in practice, the US is encouraging Vietnam and Philippines to continue their provocation and infringement of China's sovereignty.

The guideline of setting aside disputes and pursuing joint development promoted by China was supposed to provide a foundation for cooperation among the claimants. However, it was spoiled by the provocations of the Philippines and Vietnam.

Currently, 43 islands in the South China Sea have been seized by countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines. These countries have tried to strengthen their control over the islands through domestic legislation and exploring oil in the region.

It was reported in April that Vietnam and the Philippines planned to hold football and basketball matches for their navies on the disputed islands.