Chinese FM: US plans to establish base on Cocos Islands directed against third parties
The plans of the United States to establish a military base on the Australian Cocos Islands should not be directed against third parties – as stated by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, who stressed that Washington should help maintain peace in the Asia-Pacific region, TASS reports
"China has always believed that interstate co-operation in the field of defence and security should contribute to regional peace and stability. It should not be directed against third parties or infringe on their interests," Ms. Ning said in a statement posted on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in response to a question from a journalist who asked for comment on the plans of the US Navy to establish a base on the Cocos Islands. This archipelago is located near the Strait of Malacca, through which ‘half of China's oil supplies pass’.
According to the official representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the parties interested in this project ‘should do more to maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region’.
