She also vowed that China would counter any actions threatening its sovereignty and security in the region.
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Second, all claimants should respect freedom of navigation and overflight in the region; and third, all the claimants should address the disputes through peaceful means, and Taiwan should be included in any multilateral mechanism to deal with such disputes, Huang said.
Congressman Matt Salmon, Chairman of the subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, said the Obama Administration and other counterparts across the world recognise the severity of the threat posed by China’s aggressive, coercive actions in the South China Sea that undermine worldwide norms.
Meanwhile, China kicked off its week-long military drills in waters around Paracel Islands on Tuesday.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration’s tribunal deciding the Philippines’ legal case against China recently announced it’ll conclude its decision on July 12.
The U.S. State Department confirmed that Kerry had spoken by phone to Wang.
“This applies with the Philippines, just as in all other disputes in the South China Sea”, and “is consistent and logical that Beijing legitimately preserves its historic interests”, he explained.
Maritime tensions in the western Pacific are edging higher a week ahead of an worldwide ruling on a dispute between China and the Philippines over sovereignty claims in the South China Sea.
A Chinese Coast Guard vessel (R) passes near the Chinese oil rig, Haiyang Shi You 981 (L) in the South China Sea, about 210 km (130 miles) from the coast of Vietnam June 13, 2014.
Aside from the joint exploration, Yasay also said that Zhao made a commitment that his government would not do any untoward action that might undermine Beijing and Manila’s diplomatic relationship.
China-US relations are generally on a sound track, and the two countries should further focus on cooperation while properly managing their differences, he said.
“On an immediate term, the Philippines must capitalize on the worldwide interest in the case to garner global support for its position and elicit strong statements from other countries”.
Kerry said the United States understands that China has its own stance on the arbitration.
China has been angered by U.S. patrols in the South China Sea in recent months and on Tuesday launched what the Defense Ministry termed “routine” military drills there. It is now holding military drills in the northern part of the sea as a show of force.
Treaties, namely the 1898 Treaty of Paris, the 1900 Treaty of Washington and the 1930 Convention Between the United States and Great Britain, stipulate that the west boundary line of the territory of the Philippines is at 118 degrees east longitude, said Natee.
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China has refused to take part in the case and promised to ignore all rulings that may come down, rulings that the US says are mandatory and an important test of China’s readiness to adhere to worldwide law.
