US threatens China with Russia-like sanctions over territorial disputes

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The US has issued a strong warning to China not to escalate territorial tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, or otherwise it would face sanctions similar to those the US had imposed on Russia over Crimea. While speaking to a meeting of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asia, Daniel Russel, said that the recent sanctions against Russia imposed by the US and EU should have "a chilling effect on anyone in China who might contemplate the Crimea annexation as a model," Reuters reports.

While speaking to a meeting of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asia, Daniel Russel, said that the recent sanctions against Russia imposed by the US and EU should have "a chilling effect on anyone in China who might contemplate the Crimea annexation as a model."

In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused Russel of confusing two different issues and reiterated that the Chinese stance on the matter would remain unchanged.

This piece of diplomatic fencing was inspired by the fact that China had recently deployed a number of war ships in the disputed waters with the Philippines, which in turn filed a complaint against China.

Russel commented that the US considered this "to be intimidating steps." He noted that though the US had no intention to interfere in China's territorial disputes, it couldn't but caution China against making any wrong moves, especially taking into account the US defense cooperation agreements with the Philippines, South Korea and Japan.

"The president of the United States and the Obama administration is firmly committed to honoring our defense commitments to our allies," Russel stated, although he did not specify in what way the US was going to "honor" its commitments.

If this means imposing sanctions similar to those imposed on Russia over Crimea, it is unlikely to have any effect on China, just the way it had no effect on Russia's firm position on Crimea.

April 22, President Obama's official tour of Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines begins. He is supposed to reassure these countries of America's support for strategic and economic partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region.