No country should use any excuse to engage in militarisation in South China Sea: Beijing
Washington, Nov 10 : Asserting that there is no problem of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, Beijing said no country should use any excuse to engage in militarisation in the region.
China, which claims almost all of the South China Sea, has been unhappy with the US' navigation and overflight patrols in the region over which Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have counter claims. In September, a Chinese destroyer and a US warship nearly collided in the disputed waters.
"There is no problem of the freedom of navigation and overflight being obstructed, so to use the freedom of navigation and overflight as an excuse to pursue military actions is unjustifiable, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi told a joint press conference here on Friday.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, US Defence Secretary James Mattis and Chinese Minister of National Defence Wei Fenghe were also present at the press conference.
The Chinese leaders are in Washington to set the stage for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later this month.
In an apparent attempt to allay the growing global concern about China constructing defence facilities in the disputed territory, Yang said Beijing is only building certain security facilities in response to possible threats from outside.
He said China has undertaken some constructions on the islands and reefs in the region, however, "most of them are civilian facilities" whose purpose is to "serve the interest of the Chinese people and also to provide public goods to others".
Yang said to pursue militarisation in the region will not only undermine interest of regional countries, but will also hurt the nations that take these actions.
Addressing the conference, Mattis said the US adheres strictly to international law and the international maritime rules of the road and it "will continue to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows".
He said the US' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, one that is underpinned by the rules-based international order and regional stability, is unwavering.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
