Foreign ministers of the Philippines and Vietnam urged their ASEAN counterparts to cite the July 12 ruling in favor of the Philippines and the importance of abiding by worldwide law in each of their statements, which are issued after each meeting.
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They also pledged to “peacefully solve territorial disputes through negotiation in accordance with worldwide laws, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea”, reports the South China Morning Post.
“Now it is the time to test whether you are peacekeepers or troublemakers”, Wang said, referring to the three countries.
On Sunday, July 24, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) failed to come to a consensus on conflicts in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) during a conference in the Laotian capital of Vientiane.
Mr Kerry is due to fly to Manila for talks with Mr Duterte later Tuesday.
Expressing “strong support” for the rule of law, the three countries also called on China and the Philippines to abide by the global arbitration panel’s ruling earlier this month which invalidated Beijing’s expansive claims in the regional waterway, saying that the decision was “final and legally binding on both parties”. It claims historic rights to the vast sea, a claim that was rubbished by the arbitration panel, which said the sea is global waters and the rocky outcrops do not constitute sovereign islands that would give states an ownership on the surrounding waters. On the other hand, the trilateral statement asserts that the so-called ruling which is highly contentious is binding, Wang continued.
He said he would encourage Mr Duterte, who assumed office on June 30, to engage in dialogue and “turn the page” with China.
Meanwhile, the U.S. -ASEAN foreign ministers meeting was held Monday evening.
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.
But Kerry said the United States saw an “opportunity” for claimants to peacefully resolve the row.
This ruling by an arbitral tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, struck down China’s expansive claim over the disputed waters.
The top US diplomat shared a working lunch Wednesday with the new Philippine president, who has criticized USA security policies and publicly made friendly overtures to China.
Kerry said he was “very satisfied” with the communique as it showed all members were fully supportive of the rule of law, even though the thorny issue of the arbitration case was left out.
Lu said China urges relevant countries to respect the efforts of the directly-concerned parties to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea, and do right things to serve peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
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“The US position is slightly undercut because it’s not a signatory to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, but nevertheless it sees itself as a counterweight to China”. He wrapped up his brief public remarks to that meeting by noting “how much can be accomplished when we work together, invest in the future, and perhaps most importantly support the rules-based system that has led to steadily increased peace and prosperity for almost 50 years now”.
