US to continue freedom of navigation in disputed South China Sea

May 3, 2018

US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said Thursday said America will continue freedom of navigation operations in disputed waters “to protect important international rights for everybody, including the Philippines.”

Kim said the US is concerned over China’s recent unilateral actions in the waters, which suggest “that they are moving towards militarization.”

“We are concerned. I think we are concerned anytime a claimant, including China, takes aggressive unilateral actions towards militarization, which is clear what they have done and I saw the report,” Kim told journalists at the US Embassy in Manila.

China was accused of militarizing the South China Sea after reports said it has installed missiles and radars on artificial islands it built on the waters. It reportedly sent Chinese military vessels in one of the Philippine-claimed features, called the Mischief Reef, that it now controls.

Beijing dismissed a Hague tribunal’s decision on a case filed by the Philippines that invalidated its virtual claim over nearly the entire waters in July 2016.

“We have called on countries to refrain from reclamation and militarization of the reclaimed land and we will continue to do so,” Kim said as he stressed “it is very important for us to be present” in the South China Sea.

Kim said the recent US warship visits to the Philippines, which includes aircraft carriers, USS Carl Vinson and USS Theodore, Roosevelt, as well as the USS amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard, are “directly relevant to the situation that we have in the South China Sea.”

“Not only does our presence through visits...demonstrate our commitment to Philippines-US alliance to the region and also to doing everything we can to protect freedom of navigation and overflight, commerce, which are not only important rights to the US but important rights for everybody including the Philippines. So we’ll continue whatever we can to protect those rights,” he said.

Kim stressed the importance of  refraining from unilateral aggressive actions that are inconsistent with  international law and norms.

He said it is important all claimants refrain from reclamation and militarization of reclaimed lands and to uphold the rules-based order.

Kim stopped short of saying the US backs a legally-binding code of conduct but pointed out that he is unsure how “a vague and ambiguous document that is not binding would do in terms of helping the claimants resolve an obviously very complex situation.”

“I am cautious about commenting on specific elements that we would like to see but I think it would be in the interest of all parties to have a detailed and meaningful document that helps the parties, that guides parties towards the peaceful resolution of the disputes,” Kim said. DMS