Australia and Japan warn China over South China Sea dispute

A Pa Aling fishing boat at sunset in the South China Sea ocean reefs off the coast of northern Palawan, Palawan Island, MIMAROPA, Philippines.

China on the one hand and such countries as Japan and US on the other exchanged at the meeting over China's building artificial islands and promoting the establishment of military strongholds in the South China Sea.

The issue has increasingly loomed over the regional diplomatic and security outlook, with China accused of upsetting the status quo by moving to enhance its presence in the South China Sea.

"In keeping with the (Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China sea) spirit, disputes over territory and jurisdiction rights should be peacefully resolved through friendly consultations and negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned", Hong said.

Asia-Pacific leaders gathered Sunday for an annual summit, where they were expected to condemn terrorism but remain apart over growing tensions in the disputed South China Sea.

Washington was testing Beijing with its insistence on "freedom of navigation" patrols in the strategic waterway, Mr Liu said.

Despite the concern, Najib said that leaders expressed commitment that all countries must make sure that tensions would not rise further.

The haggling over islands and atolls in the South China Sea and the means of dealing with Beijing's bold claim to them has demonstrated that there is no true sense of community because there is no consensus.

Earlier this month, U.S. B-52 bombers flew near some of the islands, signaling Washington's determination to challenge Beijing's claim. The islands are also claimed by a number of other regional powers: Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who also attended the Summit, said countries with large populations of Muslims, including Russia, should unite to fight against Islamic State.

Liu held a press briefing at the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit and related meetings here on Sunday, November 22.

Chinese dredging vessels operate in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands. One of them controls 29, another one eight and the third country five. China has been constructing artificial islands in the region to bolster its claims, but the country maintained that such efforts were only to serve the public better.

Leaders "welcomed assurances" by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his USA visit that "China does not intend to pursue militarization in the South China Sea", the statement said.

At a weekend meeting in Sydney with her Japanese counterpart, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop reiterated Australia doesn't take sides on the sea disputes but urges "all claimants to settle any disputes pursuant to global law and in accordance with a rules-based worldwide order".