China open to dialogue with Malaysia on South China Sea - foreign ministry
BEIJING, April 4 (Reuters) - China would like to work with Malaysia to handle differences in the South China Sea through dialogue and consultation in an appropriate manner, its foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said earlier on Tuesday that he had told the Chinese government that an exploration project by state energy firm Petronas in the South China Sea was within Malaysian waters, in a reference to an overlapping claim in the area by Beijing.
"China safeguards legitimate rights and interests in the South China Sea," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, responding to a question about Malaysia's warning of a protest note if there were "collisions" between Malaysian and Chinese vessels in the area. (Reporting by Laurie Chen; Writing by Liz Lee Editing by Gareth Jones)
