By Nguyen Hong Thao
The way both leaders dealt with the disputes publicly was worrying for several reasons.
At the joint press conference on 25 September 2015 during Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States. President Obama spent 110 words in his speech on the East China Sea and South China Sea, while President Xi used 233 words to present his position only on the South China Sea issue.
Obama conveyed his significant concerns over freedom of navigation and overflight, land reclamation, construction and the militarization of disputed areas, and encouraged a peaceful resolution among claimants. Mr. Xi reiterated the sovereignty of China over islands in the South China Sea since ancient times, as well as Chinese lawful and legitimate maritime rights and interests. He pledged not to pursue militarization in the South China Sea, and stressed that the countries directly involved should address their dispute through negotiation, consultation and peaceful means.
From those speeches, a few observations can be made:
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