‘No military solution to sea dispute’

The US is united with its allies in upholding freedom of navigation rights in the South China Sea following a tribunal’s decision on the contested waters, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday.

Speaking on a visit to New Delhi, Kerry called on China and the Philippines to abide by an international tribunal’s decision on the disputed South China Sea and said there was no military solution to the problem.
Kerry’s remarks, made in a visit to India, came ahead of a G20 summit in China on Sunday and Monday that could be overshadowed by arguments over everything from territorial disputes to protectionism by China, diplomats say.
Kerry said the US itself had no claim over the waters, that are crucial to international shipping, but would stand up for freedom of navigation rights.
“We have made it clear that we will stand up for our rights and we will stand with our allies,” he said, referring to navigation and the rule of law.
An arbitration court in The Hague ruled in July that China did not have historic rights to the South China Sea. China dismissed the case lodged by the Philippines and rejected the ruling.
“The United States continues to call on China and the Philippines to abide by the tribunal’s recent decision which is final and legally binding on both parties,” Kerry told a gathering of students in New Delhi.
China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have rival claims.
China has vowed to take all measures needed to protect its sovereignty over the South China Sea and says its actions there, which have included land reclamation and construction of air fields and docks on reefs, are peaceful.
China has blamed the US and its allies in the region, such as Japan and Australia, for stoking tension.
The US and Japan have no territorial claims in the South China Sea and say their priority is freedom of navigation. Kerry said the US supported diplomatic efforts to resolve territorial disputes to which there was “no military solution.”
“We are also interested in not fanning the flames of conflict but rather trying to encourage the parties to resolve their disputes and claims through the legal process and through diplomacy,” Kerry said.
The US and India, in a joint statement issued on Tuesday after security talks, reiterated the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.
They said states should resolve disputes through peaceful means and “exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that could complicate or escalate disputes affecting peace and stability.”

Source: Arab News