Regional problems should be solved by countries in the region and others should not interfere, a Chinese vice foreign minister said on Thursday, following an East Asia summit at which some leaders raised the issue of security in the South China Sea.
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“The landmark arbitration ruling in July, which is binding, helped clarify maritime rights in the region”, Obama told reporters.
The Asean leaders have left out any mention of the decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in July that rejected Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea from their joint statement. That deal is awaiting ratification in the U.S. Congress.
She said that China also opposes any attempt by forces outside the region to manipulate the issue or stir up trouble, in an apparent reference to the United States which has termed the verdict of the tribunal as legally binding.
The tribunal also said that China violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights and had caused “severe harm to the coral reef environment” by building artificial islands.
The ASEAN leaders had also said that their summit “took note of the concerns expressed by some leaders on the land reclamations and escalation of activities in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region”.
Asean works by consensus, and China has successfully pressured Cambodia and Laos in recent years to ensure the bloc does not gang together to heavily pressure Beijing.
Under pressure after an worldwide tribunal struck down its claim over the disputed South China Sea (SCS), China today welcomed President Vladimir Putin’s remarks that Russian Federation supports Beijing’s stance on the issue and opposes any third-party interference. China claims virtually the entire sea as its own, citing historical reasons. China is involved in a raging dispute with the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei over ownership of territory in the SCS, a busy waterway through which India’s 50 per cent trade passes.
However, the Philippines released photos on Wednesday it said showed renewed Chinese island-building activity, in a deliberate move to throw the issue into the spotlight.
But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China has not done anything to alter the circumstances surrounding the shoal.
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New Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has taken a more conciliatory approach to China than his predecessor, and has said he would not raise the dispute in an adversarial manner that might upset Beijing.
