Beijing downplays friction in stable South China Sea

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday downplayed recent friction in the South China Sea, saying the area was \"stable\" and offered freedom of navigation, DPA reported. \"Such a stable situation does not come easily and we should dearly cherish it,\" Wang told reporters following talks with his counterparts from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). \"There is no real problem with freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, nor will there be a problem in the future,\" he said. Wang met the ministers from the 10 ASEAN nations to mark the 10th anniversary of their \"strategic partnership,\" and he said they \"did not shy away from\" discussing the South China Sea.