Navigation 'not a problem'

Top military officer says South China Sea freedom is ensured

BEIJING - A high-ranking Chinese military officer has responded to Washington's demand for more involvement in the South China Sea to ensure navigation, by saying that freedom of navigation is never a problem in that region.

"We believe the situation in the region is stable and all the passing ships and planes have a sufficient amount of freedom and security," Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of general staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), said at a security forum on Friday. The forum was attended by more than 100 scholars from various countries and was held by the PLA's military academy.