(VOVworld) - US Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that the militarization of facilities in the East Sea does not help resolve maritime claims.

US Secretary of State John Kerry (Photo: AFP/VNA)

He told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the US encourages the peaceful resolution of competing sovereignty claims in the East Sea. The same day, Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, condemned China’s behavior in Asia-Pacific. A top-ranking Democrat on the committee, Senator Jack Reed, said it seems clear that China does not intend to be a “responsible stakeholder” in the region. Admiral Harry Harris, head of the US Pacific Command, said China’s activities in the East Sea are changing the “operational landscape”. Washington is preparing for a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi from February 23 to 25.