Commander of the US Seventh Fleet Robert Thomas recently suggested that ASEAN countries should jointly establish a maritime power to patrol the South China Sea, and promised that the Seventh Fleet would provide support. In February he invited Japanese air patrols to expand to the South China Sea and encouraged Japan to assist the Philippines and other countries in equipment, training and preparation for combat.

Any reasonable observer would ask what he and the United States are trying to achieve.

First, the United States is building a momentum to counterbalance China. Robert has publicly claimed that the nine-dashed line does not comply with international law. He stresses that China's navy and coastguard are more powerful than its neighbors, and the scale of the Chinese fleet continues to grow. He is worried that China will damage regional, national and US interests in the South China Sea. These claims suggest that China is to blame for the South China Sea issue. They disregard China's efforts to support peace and stability in the region and interfere with China's legitimate actions in defense of its legitimate interests.

American action to undermine China has a long history. The US State Department has said the United States will continue to monitor China's military patrol off Zengmu reef or James Shoal. Last month, the US Navy admitted for the first time that it had sent the advanced "Poseidon" surveillance aircraft to patrol in the South China Sea. By constantly exaggerating the China threat, the United States hopes to normalize its patrols in the South China Sea, to further strengthen its cooperation with regional allies and partners, and to enhance its ability to respond to China in the air and at sea.

Second, the United States is testing the waters for its goals. References to supporting Japanese air patrols and encouraging ASEAN to "hold together" have been allowed to leak into the public domain. Such views are not to be found in US diplomatic documents and statements. This means that these joint patrols have not yet become an established policy of the United States. But the US is releasing a signal that it will expand its interference in the South China Sea issue.

Third, in the basic spirit of general stability, China and the ASEAN countries have to find a route to compromise in dealing with the issues, that is, to resolve disputes through negotiations involving the parties involved, and to maintain peace and stability in the region through joint actions of China and the ASEAN countries.

Countries outside the region should respect the efforts of China and ASEAN and play a constructive role. But the United States has chosen to do the opposite, thereby creating tension and undermining stability.

External interests should respect the efforts of China and ASEAN to work constructively. Ill-informed interference will achieve nothing.

The author is Su Xiaohui, deputy director of the Department for International andStrategic Studies at China Institute of International Studies.

This article was edited and translated from 《有的国家唯恐南海不乱》, source: People's Daily Overseas Edition