Diplomat dismisses calls for construction freeze in S. China Sea

A senior Chinese diplomat has shrugged off calls from Washington and Manila for a freeze on construction in the South China Sea, saying the proposals are "very unrealistic and completely unnecessary".

Yi Xianliang, deputy director-general of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Monday that the maritime disputes in the region have been exaggerated and the problems are distracting from the cooperative agenda between China and the Southeast Asian nations.

"I believe our own Asian people have our own wisdom to deal with the problems," Yi said in Beijing.