Kerry aims to calm South China Sea tensions

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Myanmar seeking to calm tensions in the South China Sea between China and its smaller neighbors, The Associated Press reported.

Amid concerns about recent provocative steps taken by China and others regarding several disputed territories in the sea, Kerry opened talks with senior Southeast Asian officials at a regional security forum here at which the conflicting claims are expected to be high on the agenda.

Kerry began by meeting Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, whose country has been involved in numerous maritime spats with China, including most recently being angered by the deployment of a deep-sea oil rig in early May near the Paracel islands, which are claimed by both Hanoi and Beijing. Although the Chinese removed the rig two months later, the incident continues to rankle Vietnam.

Washington is concerned that while China's withdrawal of the rig in mid-July had removed an irritant, it had left a legacy of anger and strained relations with Vietnam and likely raised serious questions among China's other neighbors about its long-term strategy.

The U.S. is calling for a freeze in actions that change the status quo, such as seizing unoccupied islands and land reclamation.