Philippine Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay, meanwhile, disputed reports that the omission of the South China Sea ruling in the communique was a “diplomatic victory” for China.
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Earlier, Kerry met with the foreign ministers from the 10 ASEAN nations at the regional security conference in Laos, and made no direct mention of the South China Sea tensions.
The communique referred instead to the need to find peaceful resolutions to disputes in the South China Sea in accordance with worldwide law, including the United Nations’ law of the sea, to which the court ruling referred. We’ve been present in the South China Sea for a long time, and the activity levels and complexity and all that has not really changed significantly.
Kerry said he had a “constructive meeting” on how the US and China would proceed on this issue with Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Forum. “The arbitral award is a matter between the China and the Philippines …”
Ahead of the Asean Foreign Minister’s Meeting, during which many believed a joint-Asean statement on the South China Sea would be developed, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that Cambodia would receive nearly $600 million in aid from China within a three-year timeframe to be used for the “development” of the Kingdom’s electoral process, health sector and clean water infrastructure. “We are trying to create a solution mindful of the rights of people established under the law”, Kerry said.
Abella also said Duterte explained his war on crime and drugs to Kerry, who pledged US$32 million in United States assistance for “training and services” for law enforcement.
The top US diplomat said China indicated its willingness and readiness to engage in bilateral negotiation with the Philippines on Tuesday, a day after Kerry met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
“The case we filed before the arbitral tribunal, with respect towards our dispute with China, concerns China and the Philippines alone”.
While in a meeting with Mr Kishida, he urged Japan, which is not a claimant in the South China Sea disputes, to “avoid interfering in and hyping up the maritime spats”, according to state-run news agency Xinhua.
But Mr Kerry said the United States saw an “opportunity” for claimants to peacefully resolve the row.
Meeting U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice in Beijing, Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi said both countries needed to make concerted efforts to ensure stable and good relations between the two major powers.
Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also have claims to the South China Sea, a vital waterway through which US$5 trillion in annual trade passes.
“I will be leaving to the Philippines this afternoon, meeting with President (Rodrigo) Duterte tomorrow, and I would encourage President Duterte to engage in dialogue and in negotiation”, he said.
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China’s dismissal of the court ruling as illegitimate presented a challenge, Kerry said. “We would like to pursue bilateral relationships in so far as the peaceful resolution of the dispute is concerned that is between the China and the Philippines”, Yasay told reporters.
