The South China Sea is a body of water with rich natural resources and is of strategic significance to China in a geopolitical sense.

The current standstill in resolving territorial disputes in the South China Sea is being exploited as needed pretext for outside interference.

At the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Regional Forum held in Vietnam on July 23, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that resolving the South China Sea issue was "pivotal to regional stability" and suggested an international mechanism to settle the dispute.

The United States is the largest external power hampering a peaceful settlement of the South China Sea issue.

The Obama administration adjusted Washington's Southeast Asian policy in an attempt to cozy up to ASEAN countries. The U.S. is trying to strengthen its influence in the region so as to contain China by interfering with the ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

Washington has strengthened its military cooperation in the region, stealthily instigated and supported some local countries to scramble for the Nansha Islands, and has dispatched naval vessels to China's exclusive economic zone to conduct illegal surveys.

Resolving the South China Sea issue is of great significance for China's peaceful development. As far as national security is concerned, full control over the waters could enable the Chinese navy to better protect its seas. It is also helpful in maintaining security in the Asia-Pacific region.

By trying to internationalize the South China Sea issue, the U.S. wants to put off its resolution so as to contain China's rise.

The U.S. has multiple interests in Southeast Asia.

On a strategic level, Washington wants Southeast Asia to form the center of an "Asian strategic alliance" that includes Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia and India.

On a political level, the US continues to export "democracy" and Western values to Southeast Asian countries.

On the economic level, the US has close ties with Southeast Asia in terms of trade, finance and investment and considers the latter an important overseas market, resource supplier and investment destination.

At a military and security level, the US wants to set up more military bases and positively interfere in security affairs in the Asia-Pacific region.

All parties in the region covet the comparatively rich oil and gas reserves in the South China Sea, especially the U.S., which is keen to control energy resources all over the world, for which it never hesitates to launch a war.

Therefore, the US has made great efforts to complicate, extend and internationalize the South China Sea issue and it assiduously attempts to make the sea declared as international waters so that it can wantonly participate in oil exploitation in the region.

In addition, through cooperation with oil companies of Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines, American oil giants have participated in exploiting oil and gas in the South China Sea and the U.S. military claims that it is responsible for providing security for these companies.

The U.S. has a national interest in navigation in the South China Sea. In order to secure its control on important sea-lanes, the U.S. doesn't want to see China cooperating with other concerned countries to resolve the issue.

On the contrary, through high-intensity surveillance of China via warships and planes and holding of joint military drills with certain countries, the U.S. is hindering a peaceful resolution of the issue.

The South China Sea issue not only concerns vying for jurisdiction of islands and reefs, delimitation of exclusive economic zones and division of marine resources, but also involves China's strategic sea-lane safety and long-term development. Therefore, the issue should be accorded strategic importance as it concerns national security.

An important precondition for putting forward the doctrine of "setting aside disputes and working for joint development" is that China has indisputable sovereignty over the islands on the South China Sea. Setting aside disputes doesn't mean indefinite abeyance, nor to abandon sovereignty.

China needs to strengthen fishery administration and maritime supervision so as to protect the rights and interests of Chinese fishermen, dispel illegal foreign survey ships, claim sovereignty in the South China Sea and contain the rampant plundering of its resources by others.

China has persisted in resolving the dispute through peaceful negotiations with neighboring countries. China never bullies the weak. At the same time, Beijing will never allow external forces, like the US, to interfere in the matter.

The author is a former research fellow at the Institute of International Studies, Central Party School

(China Daily July 29, 2010)