United States Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday said the Philippines and China should follow the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on disputed areas in South China Sea.
“We have made clear that the decision of the arbitral tribunal convened under the [Unclos] is legally binding and that we expect the parties will comply with their obligations on the law,” Kerry said during his visit to the Philippines.
Speaking before Filipino and foreign journalists, Kerry said the rights of all countries should always be respected.
Earlier this month, the tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines in its petition against China’s “nine-dash line” claim on a large part of the South China Sea. It said China had no basis to claim historic rights in the area and that it had violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights by constructing artificial islands and interfering with Philippine fishing.
Restraint
“At the same time, we urge all the claimants to exercise restraint and to work to reduce tensions,” Kerry said.
“In our meeting today, I told the foreign secretary that we appreciate the very responsible and measured way that the Philippine government has responded to the decision. That’s been important,” he said.
Kerry explained that during the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane, Laos “there was a consistent focus, expressed by everybody, including the Chinese foreign minister to turn the page on past confrontations.”
He said he hopes that all claimants, including other Asian countries involved in disputes with China, could “work together to to constructively, peacefully manage and resolve their differences consistent with international law.”
“We hope to see a diplomatic process between and among the claimants without coercion or the use or threat of force,” he said. “And we look forward to working with all of the parties in order to advance the goals that I have expressed.”