China media warns US allies over South China Sea

BEIJING — China's state-run Global Times newspaper on Friday warned its neighbors they could suffer economic consequences for siding with the United States in territorial disputes over the South China Sea. The warning came as leaders of Southeast Asian nations gathered on the Indonesian island of Bali for talks expected to be dominated by a dispute over the sea. The South China Sea is a vitally important trading route for the US, which has signaled it will raise the issue during the Bali talks, despite Beijing insisting it is not an appropriate topic for discussion. "Any country which chooses to be a pawn in the US chess game will lose the opportunity to benefit from China's economy," the Global Times daily said in an editorial in its English-language edition. "This will surely make US protection less attractive," added the paper, which is known for its nationalist stance. Several Asian nations have competing claims over parts of the South China Sea, believed to encompass huge oil and gas reserves, while China claims it all. One-third of global seaborne trade passes through it. China has baulked at directly discussing territorial rows including rival claims by regional nations over the South China Sea at this weekend's East Asia Summit. But President Barack Obama, the first US leader to attend the grouping, on Friday hailed it as the top forum for tackling regional maritime disputes, after earlier saying his country was "here to stay" as a Pacific power. Obama's declaration has rattled Beijing, and on Friday the People's Daily -- seen as the mouthpiece of China's Communist party -- published a column warning the US it risked escalating tensions in Asia. "Introducing too many political and security issues into the East Asia summit, particularly if they involve specific disputes, would do no good to promoting East Asia cooperation," said the article, published under the name of Tan Ya. "It could be like opening Pandora's box and escalate regional tensions." — Agence France-Presse