German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed concern yesterday about a territorial dispute between the Chinese and US navies in the South China Sea, and suggested China go to international courts to resolve the row. On a two-day visit to China, Merkel said it was essential that sea trade routes remain open despite the dispute, which flared up after a US warship challenged China’s territorial assertions in the disputed waters this week. Beijing rebuked Washington for sending a guided-missile destroyer within 12 nautical miles of one of China’s manmade islands in the Spratly archipelago on Tuesday, saying it had tracked and warned the USS Lassen and called in the US ambassador to protest.

Merkel suggests China resolve sea row in courts. (2015, October 30). The Philippine Star, p. 16.