美防长将视察游弋南中国海的美国航母

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.

星期五在马尼拉举行的美国和菲律宾联合军事演习结束仪式上，卡特宣布了这一决定。

卡特说，南中国海地区的安全如同氧气，在氧气充足时，人们感觉不到它的存在，一旦氧气不足，人们就知道它的重要性无与伦比。

卡特说，美菲联合军演这类活动对维护该地区的安全意义重大。卡特说，美国和菲律宾今年3月首次在南中国海进行了联合巡航。国防部官员说，第2次联合巡航4月初完成。

中国星期五提出抗议。北京表示，美国在南中国海争端问题上采取了偏向中国对手的立场。中国对南中国海几乎全部海域提出主权声索，并在其他国家声称主权的海域采取咄咄逼人的填海造岛及巡航行动。