美防長將視察遊弋南中國海的美國航母大綱
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter is visiting a U.S. warship in the South China Sea to emphasize the United States' commitment to security in that area, where territorial disputes have place China at odds with several of its neighbors.
Carter announced the visit Friday in Manila at the closing ceremonies of the U.S.-Philippines joint military exercises.
He said security in the region is like oxygen -- if there is enough of it, it goes unnoticed. But, he added, "When you don't have enough, you can think of nothing else."
Carter said activities like the joint military exercises the United States and Philippines just concluded are important to protecting security in the region. Carter said the first South China Sea joint patrol was carried out in March. Defense officials say a second joint patrol was completed in early April.
China protested Friday. Beijing said the United States is taking a "lopsided approach" favoring China's rivals for territory in the South China Sea. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, and has aggressively carried out island-building and patrols in waters that are claimed by other countries.美國國防部長卡特將視察部署在南中國海的航空母艦，強調美國致力於維護該地區的安全。南中國海領土爭端導致中國與幾個鄰國關係緊張。
星期五在馬尼拉舉行的美國和菲律賓聯合軍事演習結束儀式上，卡特宣佈了這一決定。
卡特說，南中國海地區的安全如同氧氣，在氧氣充足時，人們感覺不到它的存在，一旦氧氣不足，人們就知道它的重要性無與倫比。
卡特說，美菲聯合軍演這類活動對維護該地區的安全意義重大。卡特說，美國和菲律賓今年3月首次在南中國海進行了聯合巡航。國防部官員說，第2次聯合巡航4月初完成。
中國星期五提出抗議。北京表示，美國在南中國海爭端問題上採取了偏向中國對手的立場。中國對南中國海幾乎全部海域提出主權聲索，並在其他國家聲稱主權的海域採取咄咄逼人的填海造島及巡航行動。
