OBAMA SAYS CLEAR RULES NEEDED TO CALM SOUTH CHINA
SEA
WASHINGTON, JUNE
11, 2012 (ABS-CBN) REUTERS By
Laura MacInnis - U.S. President Barack Obama called on Friday for clear rules to
resolve maritime disputes in the South China Sea and throughout the Pacific, a
region where the United States is trying to increase its strategic heft.
Speaking to reporters after hosting Filipino President Benigno Aquino in the
Oval Office, Obama said it was critical to avoid escalation of conflicts over
strategic waterways and shipping routes.
"We discussed not only military and economic issues, but also regional
issues, for example trying to make sure that we have a strong set of
international norms and rules governing maritime disputes in the region," Obama
said.
Washington has been helping Manila, a treaty ally, strengthen its modest
military capacities in the face of a confrontation with China over contested
South China Sea reefs.
Aquino did not refer specifically to that conflict in his remarks to the
press, but said the meeting with Obama "deepened and strengthened a very long
relationship we have, especially as we face the challenges that are before both
our countries."
The White House later said the leaders "underscored the importance of the
principles of ensuring freedom of navigation, respect for international law, and
unimpeded lawful commerce."
"They expressed firm support for a collaborative diplomatic process among
claimants to resolve territorial disputes in a manner consistent with
international law and without coercion or the use of force," it said.
The United States, colonial ruler of the Philippines from 1898-1946 and a
treaty ally since 1951, is formally neutral on South China Sea territorial
disputes.
But Washington's encouragement of multilateral discussions pits it against
China, which has insisted on bilateral talks with its weaker neighbors to
resolve conflicts.
Manila is in a showdown with China over the Scarborough Shoal, a
horseshoe-shaped reef near the Philippines in waters both countries claim, and
has sought to upgrade its defense posture with ships, aircraft and surveillance
equipment.
Earlier on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United
States was not taking sides in the Manila-Beijing standoff but had a clear
interest in ensuring free navigation, unimpeded commerce and stability in the
South China Sea.
"We encourage continued diplomatic dialogue and further efforts to lessen
tension, to disengage, and to resolve the situation peacefully," she said of the
Scarborough dispute.
Clinton said the United States opposed "the use of force or coercion by any
claimant to advance its claims."
"We will continue to monitor the situation closely," she said, while calling
on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which the Philippines is a
member, and China to reach a consensus on a code of conduct for the South China
Sea. (Additional reporting by Andrew Quinn and Paul Eckert;
Editing by David Brunnstrom)
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
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