Beijing -- – The United States (US) and other countries will be welcome to use civilian facilities China is building in the disputed South China Sea for search and rescue and weather forecasting “when conditions are right,” China’s navy chief has told a senior US officer.
China navy chief Admiral Wu Shengli also told his US counterpart, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, in a video conference that the facilities wouldn’t affect freedom of navigation or overflight in the area, according to a report posted on the Chinese Defense Ministry website Friday morning.
“Instead, it will improve the ability in these seas of public services like weather forecasting and maritime search and rescue, fulfilling international obligations to maintain the security of international seas,” Wu said, according to a Chinese Defense Ministry statement released late on Thursday.
“(We) welcome international organizations, the United States, and relevant countries to use these facilities in the future when conditions are right, to have cooperation on humanitarian search and rescue and disaster relief,” Wu added.
Manila Bulletin
