Considering the broader outlook of bilateral ties, the Chinese navy has shown the 'maximum restraint' to provocations from the United States, said the Chief of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) at a meeting in this capital to his counterpart Admiral Scott Swift, Commander of the US Pacific Fleet.
Wu made the statement on Thursday afternoon in reference to the recent US maneuvers near the islands and reefs in the South China Sea China without permission of his government.
The Chinese navy has been closely monitoring these 'provocative acts' and has issued warnings on several occasions, said the Chinese admiral.
He also asked the United States to consider the 'good development' of ties between the two countries and in this regard he called to 'control' their maritime military operations.
Wu described the visit of Admiral Swift in China as a sign that the both sides give great importance to the development and maintenance of the new type of military relations between the two parties.
He considered the visit of the US representative will promote the practical cooperation in both military organizations and will mitigate tensions in the South China Sea, in addition to safeguarding regional peace and stability.
However, the recent maneuvers of American aircrafts and ships near the islands and reefs in the South China Sea have been a real challenge to the sovereign rights of the territory, Wu acknowledged.
On the other hand, Admiral Swift said the US Navy does not want this to become an issue that affects bilateral ties and expressed the hope that the two navies can keep the high-level exchanges and conduct more joint exercises.
The US military urged both institutions to accelerate the implementation of the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea to avoid misunderstandings and errors of assessment, and in order to prevent sea and air accidents.
Tensions between Beijing and Washington worsened last October after the illegal incursion by a US patrol ship in the South China Sea.
The old rivalry in these waters is due to a territorial and sovereignty complaint over ocean areas and the islands Paracels and Spratlys, involving China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.
However, in August the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his counterpart in Vietnam, Pham Binh Minh, promised to solve the dispute between the two countries in the South China Sea.
yor/lam/dav
PL-12/MNA