Obama on sea row: Stop all reclamation
KUALA LUMPUR – US President Barack Obama reiterated his call to halt all land reclamation activities in the South China Sea during his meeting with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.
Obama referred to all claimants and not just China as he acknowledged the action taken by the Philippines to present its position before the arbitral tribunal in The Hague as an appropriate approach to resolve the sea dispute.
Obama also expressed “the view that the decision of the tribunal must be respected by all concerned,” Coloma said.
In Manila last week, Obama made the same call to stop reclamation, construction activities and militarization of disputed areas. The US leader particularly cited China as he and Aquino held a bilateral meeting ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Summit hosted by the Philippines.
The sea dispute was not included in the APEC agenda, although the issue figured prominently in Aquino’s bilateral talks with other participating leaders.
The ASEAN and the US also called for restraint in the conduct of activities in the South China Sea as the two sides met in a summit here.
In the Joint Statement on ASEAN-US Strategic Partnership adopted by the leaders, both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability and ensuring maritime security and safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.
“We reaffirm the collective commitments contained in the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) to ensure the resolution of disputes by peaceful means in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the relevant regulations, standards and recommended practices of the International Maritime Organization and the (International Civil Aviation Organization) without resorting to the threat or use of force while exercising self-restraint in the conduct of activities,” the statement read.