US President Barack Obama has reiterated calls for China and the other claimants in South China Sea territorial disputes to work constructively to resolve disagreements, as he weighed in for the first time on the recent international tribunal ruling.
Without citing any of the Chinese criticisms of the July 12 ruling directly, he appeared to reject claims that the Philippines had acted in bad faith or that the US had stoked tensions in the South China Sea.
"The Philippines made a lawful and peaceful effort to resolve their maritime claims with China using the tribunal established under the Law of the Sea Convention," he said in an e-mail interview with The Straits Times.
"The tribunal's ruling delivered a clear and legally binding decision on maritime claims in the South China Sea as they relate to China and the Philippines - and that ruling should be respected."
The decision from the Arbitral Tribunal at The Hague had rejected the historical basis for the nine-dash line, which China argues gives it sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea.
The ruling was swiftly condemned by Beijing, who had said it would not recognise the ruling well before it was even released.
The Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai, for instance, said the Philippines case was an "attempt to use legal instruments for political purposes", adding that Manila initiated the proceedings "not out of goodwill or good faith". He added that tensions in the South China Sea rose when the US declared its pivot to Asia.
Mr Obama said that the US works to ensure that any actions it takes are consistent with international laws and stressed that it was not targeting any one country with its engagement in Asia.
Said Mr Obama: "It's worth remembering that our presence in the region is nothing new. For more than 60 years, the United States has stood by our allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific. That includes our defence partnership with Singapore, which stretches back more than two decades. Moreover, our alliances and partnerships are not directed against any nation."
He noted: "Rather, they are focused on protecting and defending our common security and upholding a rules-based order that undergirds the peace and prosperity of the region and the world. In this work, we are grateful for our continued partnership with Singapore."
The South China Sea disputes have long been a point of contention in US-China ties, with the two sides engaged in a war of words over the past year on Beijing's island-building activities in disputed waters.
Asked how the US would engage China on the issue after the ruling, Mr Obama said the US would continue urging a peaceful resolution.
"We continue to urge China and other claimants to work constructively to resolve these disagreements, so that the South China Sea - which is so vital to the global economy - can be defined by commerce and cooperation."
Mr Obama added: "The United States believes that every nation should respect international law, including in the South China Sea. This is not an area where we can pick and choose. It is in the interests of all of us - the United States, China and the rest of the world - to make sure that the rules of the road are upheld. These rules and norms are part of the foundation of regional stability, and they have allowed nations across the region, including China, to grow and prosper."
