(VOVworld) – The White House urged Friday Chinese President Xi Jinping to extend his pledge not to militarize the disputed Spratly Archipelagos to encompass all of the East Sea.

Fiery Cross reef, located in Vietnam’s Spratly Archipelagos in the East Sea, is shown in a satellite image taken September 3, 2015. (Photo: Reuters/VNA)

Dan Kritenbrink, President Barack Obama’s top Asia advisor, issued the call at the end of a week in which China and the United States have sparred over Chinese deployment of missiles, fighter planes and radar on the archipelagos in the contested strategic waterway. Kritenbrink said that the US encourages China and other countries in the region to refrain from taking steps that raise tensions. He also reiterated that China should respect an international court ruling expected later this year on its dispute with the Philippines over the East Sea.

Chinese President Xi Jinping had pledged during a US state visit last September not to militarize Vietnam’s Spratly archipelago. But US officials have since said they see military intent in China’s building of air strips and installation of a radar system there.