在刚闭幕的香格里拉对话会上，美国防部长卡特把攻击中国作为发言主题。他对中国在自己的南海岛礁上进行建设横加指责，妄言中国正在破坏亚太安全，还挑拨离间，企图拉拢一些国家搞“诬华”合唱。其表现说明，美国参会是来挑事的。当然，其企图未能得逞。

最近一段时间，南海热点升温，极少数国家尤其是菲律宾频频对华挑衅，美国更是由副总统出面高调指责中国，并变本加厉对华进行深度抵近侦察，严重挑战中国的主权与安全，多次受到中国军方的警告驱离，几至酿成危机事态。

南海事态趋紧，主要肇因是美国从遏华出发，罕见地加大了对南海问题的干预卷入。它从鼓动日本巡航南海，到游说东盟国家组建联合舰队，从向与华争端国增售军火，到与其在中国近海举行示威性联合军演，从密化同与其伙伴国的军事关系，到强化其在南海的军事存在，直至升高对华无理指责和增大对华抵近侦察频率，这些都针对中国。美国俨然把南海作为遏华前哨，人为地造成该地区紧张局势。

南海问题的实质是中国的岛礁和海洋权益被其他国家侵占。美不顾这一事实，把挑起事端，把引发地区紧张的责任横加到中国身上。其对华无理指责主要有三：

一是指责中国改变南海现状和侵犯别国岛礁主权。长期以来，中国对南海及其岛礁拥有主权，并进行了有效管辖，这是所有其他南海国家和包括美国在内的国际社会都认可了的。只是到上世纪70年代以后，南海发现富含油气资源，这些国家才对之提出主权要求，并非法占据其中大多数岛礁。显然，侵犯他国领土主权，改变南海现状的不是中国，而是其他某些国家。

二是指责中国的行动挑战了南海的航行自由。这是莫须有的欲加之罪。南海作为世界上最主要的海上贸易通道，航行自由从未出现过任何问题。每年过往南海的各类商船达4万多艘，商品总值超过4万亿美元，占世界海上贸易的一半以上，从未发生过因中国而生的任何意外事故。美国对中国进行深度抵近侦察，损害了中国的主权和安全，也违反了有关国际法规，同南海航行自由无关，理所当然为中国所反对。

三是指责中国在南海岛礁进行建设与国际法不合，强行要求中国停建。中国在无争议的自己岛礁上进行建设，是本国主权范围内之事，不受任何国家左右。中国此举没有损害任何国家，合理，合法，合情，且主要目的之一是为了更好地实施中国在海上搜寻与救助，防灾减灾，生态保护，航行安全等方面承担的国际责任与义务，对南海航行自由与安全有百利而无一害。美国的责难毫无道理，无理要求太过分。

美国离南海万里之遥，是南海问题的局外人，理应实践承诺，对南海问题不持立场，不选边站队，不介入。它不作为就是好作为。但它硬是为与中国有争端的国家强出头，喧宾夺主，一再搅局。它须知，搅乱了南海只能变共赢为共输，搅坏了中美关系只能变双赢为双输，决非美国之福。

当前南海出现的事态是严峻的。但总体看，和平稳定仍是南海形势的主流。这是由南海地区国家和平发展与合作共赢的共同目标与共同利益所决定的。中国作为主要当事方，在其中起着关键作用。中国坚持由争议双方和谈，协商解决问题的主张，为争端和平解决指明了方向。中国同东盟（10+1）关系的稳定深入发展是南海稳定之锚。中美正努力构建新型大国关系，会慎重处理有关矛盾与分歧，妥善管控事态，避免在南海迎头相撞。因此，南海事态尽管还会曲折发展，甚至进一步紧张，但不会出现危机失控局面。

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.