在剛閉幕的香格里拉對話會上，美國防部長卡特把攻擊中國作為發言主題。他對中國在自己的南海島礁上進行建設橫加指責，妄言中國正在破壞亞太安全，還挑撥離間，企圖拉攏一些國家搞“誣華”合唱。其表現說明，美國參會是來挑事的。當然，其企圖未能得逞。

最近一段時間，南海熱點升溫，極少數國家尤其是菲律賓頻頻對華挑釁，美國更是由副總統出面高調指責中國，並變本加厲對華進行深度抵近偵察，嚴重挑戰中國的主權與安全，多次受到中國軍方的警告驅離，幾至釀成危機事態。

南海事態趨緊，主要肇因是美國從遏華出發，罕見地加大了對南海問題的干預捲入。它從鼓動日本巡航南海，到遊說東盟國家組建聯合艦隊，從向與華爭端國增售軍火，到與其在中國近海舉行示威性聯合軍演，從密化同與其夥伴國的軍事關係，到強化其在南海的軍事存在，直至升高對華無理指責和增大對華抵近偵察頻率，這些都針對中國。美國儼然把南海作為遏華前哨，人為地造成該地區緊張局勢。

南海問題的實質是中國的島礁和海洋權益被其他國家侵佔。美不顧這一事實，把挑起事端，把引發地區緊張的責任橫加到中國身上。其對華無理指責主要有三：

一是指責中國改變南海現狀和侵犯別國島礁主權。長期以來，中國對南海及其島礁擁有主權，並進行了有效管轄，這是所有其他南海國家和包括美國在內的國際社會都認可了的。只是到上世紀70年代以後，南海發現富含油氣資源，這些國家才對之提出主權要求，並非法佔據其中大多數島礁。顯然，侵犯他國領土主權，改變南海現狀的不是中國，而是其他某些國家。

二是指責中國的行動挑戰了南海的航行自由。這是莫須有的欲加之罪。南海作為世界上最主要的海上貿易通道，航行自由從未出現過任何問題。每年過往南海的各類商船達4萬多艘，商品總值超過4萬億美元，佔世界海上貿易的一半以上，從未發生過因中國而生的任何意外事故。美國對中國進行深度抵近偵察，損害了中國的主權和安全，也違反了有關國際法規，同南海航行自由無關，理所當然為中國所反對。

三是指責中國在南海島礁進行建設與國際法不合，強行要求中國停建。中國在無爭議的自己島礁上進行建設，是本國主權範圍內之事，不受任何國家左右。中國此舉沒有損害任何國家，合理，合法，合情，且主要目的之一是為了更好地實施中國在海上搜尋與救助，防災減災，生態保護，航行安全等方面承擔的國際責任與義務，對南海航行自由與安全有百利而無一害。美國的責難毫無道理，無理要求太過分。

美國離南海萬里之遙，是南海問題的局外人，理應實踐承諾，對南海問題不持立場，不選邊站隊，不介入。它不作為就是好作為。但它硬是為與中國有爭端的國家強出頭，喧賓奪主，一再攪局。它須知，攪亂了南海只能變共贏為共輸，攪壞了中美關係只能變雙贏為雙輸，決非美國之福。

當前南海出現的事態是嚴峻的。但總體看，和平穩定仍是南海形勢的主流。這是由南海地區國家和平發展與合作共贏的共同目標與共同利益所決定的。中國作為主要當事方，在其中起着關鍵作用。中國堅持由爭議雙方和談，協商解決問題的主張，為爭端和平解決指明了方向。中國同東盟（10+1）關係的穩定深入發展是南海穩定之錨。中美正努力構建新型大國關係，會慎重處理有關矛盾與分歧，妥善管控事態，避免在南海迎頭相撞。因此，南海事態儘管還會曲折發展，甚至進一步緊張，但不會出現危機失控局面。

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter's speech at the just concluded Shangri-La Dialogue had a theme of attacking China. He irresponsibly dumped blame on China for its construction activities on its own isles and reefs in the South China Sea, accusing China of sabotaging security in the Asia Pacific. He even attempted to rally some countries and orchestrate a chorus of China-bashing. His words and deeds indicated that the U.S. presence there was meant to make trouble. Of course, the attempt failed.

The South China Sea has been heating up lately. An extremely small number of countries, the Philippines in particular, have repeatedly provoked China. The U.S. Vice President openly blamed China. The U.S. has even dramatically increased in-depth close-in surveillance and reconnaissance flights against China, seriously challenging Chinese sovereignty and security. Such flights have received multiple warnings from the Chinese military and been driven away, nearly spiraling into crises.

The main cause of the tension in the South China Sea is the U.S. has unprecedentedly raised its profile in the South China Sea issue in order to contain China. From instigating Japan to patrol the South China Sea to lobbying the Association of South East Asian Nations to organize a joint fleet, from increasing arms sales to countries in conflicts with China to holding joint military drills with them near Chinese territorial waters, from consolidating military relations with allies and partners to strengthening its own military presence in the South China Sea, from escalating unwarranted criticisms against China to increasing frequency of close-in surveillance and reconnaissance flights against China, the U.S. is openly targeting China. The U.S. obviously perceives the South China Sea as the “outpost” for containing China, intentionally creating tensions in the region.

The essence of the South China Sea issue is China's isles and reefs have been encroached upon and occupied by other countries. Ignoring this reality, the U.S. blames China for stirring up the conflicts and triggering regional tensions. It has come up with three groundless accusations against China:

1. The U.S. accuses China of “changing the status quo in the South China Sea” and “violating” other countries' sovereignty over isles and reefs. From time immemorial, China has practiced sovereignty over the South China Sea and its islands and reefs as well as effective administration. All other South China Sea countries, as well as the international community, the U.S. included, recognize this. Those countries had not raised territorial claims until after the 1970s, when the South China Sea was found to be rich in oil and gas. They have thus illegally occupied most of the isles and reefs. Obviously it was those countries, rather than China, that have violated another country's sovereignty and changed the status quo in the South China Sea.

2. The U.S. complains that China's actions challenged “freedom of navigation” in the South China Sea. This is an accusation that is absolutely baseless. As the most important maritime passageway for world trade, the South China Sea has never witnessed any problem regarding freedom of navigation. Each year more than 40,000 commercial vessels have sailed across the South China Sea, carrying commodities worth over $4 trillion, accounting for more than half of global maritime trade. There has never been any accident because of China. By conducting in-depth close-in surveillance and reconnaissance flights against China, the U.S. has compromised Chinese sovereignty and security, and violated relevant international laws and conventions. That has nothing to do with freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, and logically inspires Chinese opposition.

3. The U.S. alleges that China's construction projects on South China Sea isles and reefs are inconsistent with international law, and forcefully asks China to stop. It is within China's sovereignty to carry out construction on its own isles and reefs that are not involved in territorial disputes. Such activities should not be interrupted by any other country. China's activities have done harm to no country. They are logical, reasonable and legitimate. What's more, one of the main purposes is to facilitate China's fulfillment of its international duties and responsibilities, such as maritime search and rescue, environmental protection, and navigation safety. They have numerous benefits and do no harm. The U.S. allegations are groundless and have gone too far beyond reason.

Being thousands of miles away from the South China Sea, the U.S. is an outsider in the South China Sea issue. It should have honored its promise and maintain a policy of staying neutral, not taking sides, and not intervening. Inaction is good action in this case. But it has chosen to gang up with countries in territorial disputes with China and repeatedly create troubles. It should be aware that by interfering in the South China Sea and hence China-U.S. relations, it is turning an otherwise win-win scenario into a lose-lose one, which will in no way benefit itself.

The current state of affairs in the South China Sea is acute. Yet by and large, peace and stability remain the reality there, because of the common goal of and shared interests in peaceful development and cooperation of countries in the region. China as a main player in the issue has a crucial role to play. China's proposal to solve the disputes through consultations and bilateral negotiations between parties in the disputes has shown the direction for peaceful resolutions. The steady and deepening ASEAN-China (10+1) partnership is the “anchor” for stability in the South China Sea. China and the U.S. are trying to build a new type of major-country relationship. They will carefully handle corresponding contradictions and disagreements, properly manage the state of affairs, and avoid face-to-face collisions. Therefore, though there will be twists and turns in the South China Sea, even further escalations, the scenario that a crisis spirals out of control is unlikely – because it is undesirable for both sides.