In a joint statement released after the Asean-China summit to commemorate the 25th anniversary of dialogue relations, the leaders reaffirmed their respect for and commitment to the freedom of navigation in and flights over the South China Sea.
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In July, an arbitration court in The Hague ruled that China has no legal basis to claim historic rights to resources in the South China Sea.
“The ruling is legally binding for the countries concerned”, Abe said, adding that abiding by that decision will “lead to a peaceful solution to disputes”. China claims territory belonging to the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, and Indonesia, and its claims are widely rejected by the worldwide community.
He said during the Summit, all nations have agreed to respect the global laws, not militarising disputed areas and not occupy uninhabited islands, reefs and shores.
China also hit at US President Barack Obama for raising the South China Sea dispute at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in the Laotian capital of Vientiane.
China, however, refused to accept the tribunal’s ruling and insisted that they have indisputable sovereignty in the disputed waters.
China has over the past year alarmed other claimants, and outside powers such as the United States and Japan, by re-claiming land on several disputed reefs through dredging, and building air fields and port facilities.
The president said that the ruling “helped to clarify maritime rights in the region”, and that the United States would “continue to work to ensure that disputes are resolved peacefully including in the South China Sea”.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte meets with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang for the first time on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos.
Their reticence in discussing Beijing’s defiance of an worldwide court order nullifying most of China’s claims contrasted with the outspokenness of US President Barack Obama, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The Yomiuri ShimbunEnsuring freedom of navigation, not allowing attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo and seeking to resolve disputes in line with worldwide law – we want to see such a rule of law established in the South China Sea.
The accusation by Chinese vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin came after the East Asia Summit in Vientiane ended without reprimanding China on its assertiveness in the waters, actions that have strained ties with its neighbours. The leaders agreed to establish a hotline to China this week.
Obama’s emphasis on the ruling being “binding” will undoubtedly attract a strong reaction from China, which has said that Washington has no role to play in the dispute. Larry is our main news editor.
They benefit greatly from its powerful economy – China is now the biggest source of tourists to the region – but its growing might also poses challenges.
However, Beijing has insisted that it had not started building at the shoal – a move that could lead to a military outpost just 230km from the main Philippine island, where U.S. forces are stationed.
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A draft ASEAN communique seen by Reuters on Monday listed eight points related to the South China Sea, but made no mention of the arbitration ruling.
