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| Rex Tillerson (Image: Wiki Commons) |
By Matthew Pennington
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump's pick to lead the State Department has stoked confusion over the U.S.'s South China Sea policy by appearing to advocate a blockade of Chinese man-made islands.
A person familiar with deliberations inside the Trump transition team was aware of no such planning, raising the likelihood that Rex Tillerson misspoke Wednesday at his Senate confirmation hearing for secretary of state. The individual was not authorized to speak on the record and demanded anonymity.
Restricting Chinese access to contested islands and reefs in the South China Sea would be seen as highly confrontational. It would also contradict Washington's support for the principle of freedom of navigation in waters critical to world trade. Beijing asserts sweeping sovereignty over the area, despite rival claims by several of its Asian neighbors.
China's Foreign Ministry responded to Tillerson's testimony mildly Thursday, stressing cooperation with Washington. It said Trump's postelection call with Chinese President Xi Jinping reflected mutual respect. The State Department on Thursday reported no official complaint from China.
But an opinion piece in the state-run China Daily strongly criticized the former Exxon Mobil CEO, accusing him of "undisguised animosity toward China."
"As many have observed, it would set a course for devastating confrontation between China and the U.S.," said the piece in the newspaper's U.S. edition. "After all, how can the U.S. deny China access to its own territories without inviting the latter's legitimate, defensive responses?"
Read the full story at The Philippine Star