Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel (Source: VNA)
"China as a large and powerful nation has a special responsibility to show restraint,” the US news agency AP quoted Daniel Russel, Assistant Secretary of State as saying to the media on August 4 in Washington.
“There is a big footprint that comes with military strength and it warrants setting your foot very, very carefully and treading very gingerly when you are in a sensitive area," Russel said.
He noted that China’s withdrawal of its oil rig in mid July, while removing an irritant, left a legacy of tension and raised concerns among regional nations about its long-term strategy.
The AP said at the upcoming 47 th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for Myanmar on August 9, the US will be looking to calm tensions in the region.
At the event, Secretary of State John Kerry will propose freezing actions that change the status quo, such as seizing unoccupied islands and land reclamation.
