US backs peaceful resolution of sea row

WASHINGTON – Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed concerns over tensions in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea and said the United States wants to see territorial disputes worked out through arbitration.

He made the comment before a closed-door conference with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario at the State Department on Tuesday, their first meeting since Kerry took office in February.

Kerry reaffirmed US support for a code of conduct to manage maritime disputes in the area. Tensions rose to a boiling point last year when Chinese ships wrested control of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal from the Philippines. Panatag is well within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The US has a “very, very important relationship” with the Philippines, particularly at this point in time when there are tensions in the region, Kerry said.

After the meeting, Del Rosario said he and Kerry “spoke at length about the situation in the West Philippine Sea.”

“Secretary Kerry emphasized the importance the United States gives to maintaining peace and stability in the area. More importantly, Secretary Kerry assured me that the US is committed to supporting the efforts of the Philippines to settle the disputes peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law,” he said.

Del Rosario said he briefed Kerry on Manila’s arbitration initiative. “I stressed that we are committed to seeing this arbitration through. There should be no confusion or any doubts about our resolve,” Del Rosario said.

“I also welcomed Secretary Kerry’s commitment to work with Brunei, the current ASEAN chair, on the issue of the West Philippine Sea. Both the United States and Brunei know that the Philippines is committed to the arbitration case it has filed,” Del Rosario said.

Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah met with Kerry at the State Department last March 11.

Ambassador Jose Cuisia and Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Carlos Sorreta accompanied Del Rosario in the meeting with Kerry.

In addition to discussing the South China Sea, both sides talked about trade relationship, particularly the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Before the meeting, Del Rosario spoke of emerging challenges in the region, which should be addressed.

“I’d like to add further that the secretary and I are committed to working together in order to be able to strengthen our treaty alliance and to be able to enhance our strategic partnership,” Del Rosario said.

“We agreed to work closely together, particularly in the coming ASEAN ministerial and summit meetings, to maintain peace in the area and to resolve the disputes through peaceful means and in accordance with the rule of law,” he added.