Defiant Chinese Admiral’s Message: South China Sea ‘Belongs to China’

There was just one thing on everyone’s mind when Chinese, U.S., and Japanese admirals made a rare joint appearance at a London conference.

LONDON — In a rare appearance together, American and Chinese admirals sat alongside one another to present their views on maritime security in the Asia-Pacific region. The audience came to hear about one thing, the South China Sea, and China’s commander was clear: “It belongs to China.”

There was political theater and a few one-liners, as the panel remained cordial and the admirals were all smiles during handshakes before and after. But the tension was real and the messages direct.