China tells Washington to ‘shut up’
The guided missile destroyer USS Chaffee (R) is seen anchored off Tien Sa port in the central city of Danang on April 24, 2012. US and Vietnamese sailors have been holding five-day ‘non-combatant’ naval exchange activities in the port city of Danang admid rising tensions in the South China Sea with China.
Foregoing the usual political statement, China's state-controlled media on Monday told Washington to "shut up" after the US criticized China's recent actions concerning territorial disputes in the South China Sea, according to Voice of America.
China established a military garrison in the region last month, prompting the US State Department to accuse China of "further escalating tensions in the region," Reuters reported.
To which China gave the eloquent riposte, "Shut up."
"We are entirely entitled to shout at the United States, 'Shut up'. How can meddling by other countries be tolerated in matters that are within the scope of Chinese sovereignty?" said a commentary in the People's Daily, a Chinese Communist Party newspaper, according to Reuters.
The domestic version of the same newspaper said the US was, "Fanning the flames and provoking division, deliberately creating antagonism with China, is not a new game. But of late Washington has been itching to use this trick."
As GlobalPost's Emily Lodish points out, China's claim on islands in the South China Sea is based on archeological evidence (pottery fragments and old maps). The artifacts, they say, mean the territory belongs to the Chinese.
Beijing has stated its territorial disputes, mainly with Vietnam and the Philippines, should be settled by direct negotiations between the nations themselves.
The US supports a multilateral approach. Hence, "Shut up."