“We have made clear that the decision of the United Nations tribunal ruling on the South China Sea row is legally binding…”
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Despite China’s stance, Kerry said the USA will try to work going forward to settle the issue through a diplomatic process, “whatever available legal institutions there are to support a process”.
China, which also is attending the conference, has rejected The Hague-based tribunal’s decision, saying it has a historical claim over most of South China Sea.
In Vientiane, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for an end to the “political manipulation and sensationalisation” of the South China Sea and reiterated a desire for the United States to help support a return to direct bilateral negotiations between Beijing and Manila.
The worldwide court has favored the Philippines in the case it filed against China, which claims most parts of the South China Sea.
Philippines’ Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay said yesterday that Manila had “vigorously pushed” for the inclusion of a comment on the arbitration ruling in the Asean statement this week but did not want to press the issue and risk dividing the group or provoke China.
Mr Kerry is due to fly to Manila for talks with Mr Duterte later Tuesday.
A weekend deadlock between Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers was broken only when the Philippines withdrew its request to mention the ruling in the face of resolute objections from Cambodia, China’s closest ASEAN ally.
Wang, who started bilateral meetings with ASEAN members on Sunday, said he thought the media focus on the South China Sea issue was “very strange”.
Kerry is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the Philippines since Duterte’s election victory in May and follows a meeting of foreign ministers from Southeast Asian nations in Laos this week.
Richardson said he raised the issue with Chinese officials during his visit to China last week.
On Tuesday, the Philippine Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the so-called Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) which allows for a rotation of USA troops on Philippine bases and other enhanced military cooperation.
Wang added that the Asean ministers had assured him that the bloc will not take sides in the arbitration despite the Philippines being one of its founding members.
The U.S. will continue freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea, a senior Navy officer says, as the region continues to react to a landmark Hague ruling on territorial claims in the disputed waters. The case was brought by a fellow South China Sea claimant, the Philippines.
“India supports freedom of navigation, over flight and unimpeded commerce, based on the principles of global law, as reflected notably in the UNCLOS”, Mr. Singh said while pitching for resolving the dispute through peaceful means.
“Now it is the time to test whether you are peacekeepers or troublemakers”, Wang said, referring to the three countries.
It sends out a positive message that China and the ASEAN will jointly maintain stability in the South China Sea, Wang said.
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Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumiko Kishida will also be in Laos for the ASEAN regional forum meeting.
