The United States earlier called on China and the Philippines to exercise restraint when the worldwide tribunal issues a ruling on the disputes. She also made clear that with a ruling expected possibly within weeks, the United States was working to rally sometimes wavering allies and partners in the region to ensure a unified front. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan lay claim to parts of the sea.
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But Jakarta has objected to Beijing’s inclusion of waters around Natuna Islands within its “nine-dash line” claim to nearly all of the South China Sea.
China, on the other hand, has repeatedly slammed the U.S. military build-up in the South China Sea, saying it is Washington, and not Beijing, which is in fact militarizing the disputed waters by conducting patrols there.
They say that beyond diplomatic pressure, the USA response to such moves could include accelerated “freedom-of-navigation” patrols by US warships and overflights by USA aircraft as well as increased defense aid to Southeast Asian countries.
While the European Union says it is neutral in the South China Sea dispute between China and other Asian nations, Washington has been urging Brussels to speak out against Beijing’s claim to nearly all the South China Sea.
Willett said that while it was still unclear how the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague would rule, “it isn’t in (China’s) interest to take additional provocative actions” after it does. “That’s the policy of Aquino administration and we expect that this rule will continue under the next administration”, Coloma said.
“The Nansha Islands are virgin territory for China’s tourism industry”, provincial tourism official Sun Xiangtao told the paper, using the Spratlys’ Chinese name.
China claims 90 percent of the potentially energy-rich South China Sea. But it has largely avoided specific threats of how it might respond to the arbitration ruling.
The United States yesterday backed the centrality of Asean in the regional security architecture and to deal with China over the South China Sea dispute despite a recent diplomatic discord within the grouping following a special meeting in Kunming last week.
The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) (R) conduct dual aircraft carrier strike group operations in the US 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific in the Philippine Sea on June 18, 2016. Willett said it was not even clear what those countries “have allegedly agreed to”.
Willett played down an apparent display of disunity by Southeast Asian countries last week.
Indonesia’s foreign minister yesterday rejected China’s stance that the two Asian nations have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, where there has been a run of skirmishes between Indonesian navy ships and Chinese vessels.
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A senior USA official said ASEAN countries were “under an intense amount of pressure” and made clear that behind the scenes, Washington was working to stiffen their resolve.
