After those talks, Ms Payne downplayed the likelihood of Australia joining the USA on a freedom of navigation sail-through, but said Canberra had agreed to boost cooperation and exercises alongside the US Navy.
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China has boycotted the proceedings and rejects the court’s authority in the case.
The terrifying remark was made during talks after a USA warship sailed close to one of Beijing’s man-made islands in the disputed Spratly archipelago.
On Thursday, the court in the Hague ruled that it has jurisdiction to hear territorial claims that were filed by the Philippines over the disputed areas in the South China Sea.
“It shows that judging issues like this on the basis of worldwide law and global practice are a viable way of, at a minimum, managing territorial conflicts if not resolving them”, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. I will note there is a lot of coverage of recent U.S. military operation in the South China Sea.
Another US official said the tribunal’s decision undercut China’s claims under the so-called nine-dashed line that takes in about 90 percent of the 3.5 million sq km (1.35 million sq mile) South China Sea on Chinese maps.
“This arbitration concerns the role of “historic rights” and the source of maritime entitlements in the South China Sea, the status of certain maritime features in the South China Sea and the maritime entitlements they are capable of generating, and the lawfulness of certain actions by China in the South China Sea that are alleged by the Philippines to violate the Convention”, a press release issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration read.
China hit out at Washington over the patrol, which is the most significant American challenge yet to its territorial limits.
BEIJING, Oct 30- China’s naval commander told his US counterpart there is a risk of “a minor incident that sparks war” if the United States continues with its “provocative acts” in the East Vietnam Sea, the Chinese navy said on Friday.
(Carter:) “We have said – and we are acting on the basis of saying – that we will fly, sail and operate wherever worldwide law permits”. “Its aim is to deny China’s rights in the South China Sea and confirm its own rights in the South China Sea”.
The Philippine government welcomed the decision.
“We look forward to the arbitral tribunal’s hearing on the merits of the case”, said Jose.
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Subi Reef lies 500 nautical miles away from Hainan Island, the nearest Chinese shoreline, but only 230 nautical miles from the island of Palawan in the Philippines which disputes Beijing’s territorial claim. The Philippines also asserts that a few Chinese-occupied reefs and shoals do not generate, or create a claim to, territorial waters. China has been building artificial islands on reefs in the sea and claiming control over the waters within a 12-mile (19-km) radius. China and the Philippines are among its 117 member countries.
