Chinese experts Thursday praised the neutral stance of the US over the Nansha Islands, a key region of the South China Sea, saying it is in all nations' interests to avoid disputes.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said this week during a visit to the Philippines that his country has "no position" on territorial claims.

Li Daguang, senior military expert at the National Defense University, said Gates' position is "appropriate and reflective of true reality".

"The Obama administration is a wise government and it has kept a neutral approach on the issue of the South China Sea, which is best for regional peace and stability," he told China Daily.

Shi Yinhong, an expert in international studies at Renmin University of China in Beijing, said stability was "the best option" for all in the region.

"The US does not want to see conflicts in the South China Sea," Shi told China Daily. "But tensions kept under control is what it likes to see."

Malaysia wants to settle its decades-long territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea through "friendly negotiation", Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said on Wednesday when meeting with Premier Wen Jiabao.

President Hu Jintao said yesterday during a meeting with the Malaysian prime minister that China would use the 35th anniversary of Sino-Malaysian diplomatic relations to promote cooperation.

He said ties had developed smoothly.

The two sides also worked together to promote cooperation in east Asia and deal with the financial crisis, he said.

(China Daily June 5, 2009)