Australia, US stress importance of ensuring freedoms in East Sea
Australia and the US underlined the importance of countries’ ability to exercise their maritime rights and freedoms in the South China Sea (called East Sea in Vietnam), consistent with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including freedom of navigation and overflight and other internationally lawful uses of the sea related to these freedoms.
Sydney (VNA) – Australia and the USunderlined the importance of countries’ ability to exercise their maritimerights and freedoms in the South China Sea (called East Sea in Vietnam), consistent with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including freedom of navigation and overflight and other internationally lawful uses of the sea related to these freedoms.
The two countries made the point in the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations Joint Statement, which was issued after US Secretary of StateAntony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hosted Minister forForeign Affairs, Minister for Women Marise Payne and Minister for DefencePeter Dutton of Australia in Washington D.C. on September 16 for the 31stAustralia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN 202💜1).
Adherence to international law is essential for regionaland international stability and prosperity, it stressed.
The officials conveyed concern regarding China’sexpansive maritime claims in the South China Sea that are without legal basis.They called on China to implement relevant domestic legislation, including theMaritime Traffic Safety Law, in a manner consistent with UNCLOS, and reiteratedthat the 2016 Arbitral Award is final and legally binding on the parties.
They also reiterated their strong opposition to the militarizationof disputed featꦆures and other destabilizing actions, including the dangeroususe of coast guard and maritime militia, 🥂and efforts to disrupt othercountries’ offshore resource exploitation activities./.
The 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-54), which took place recently via videoconference, issued a joint communiqué highlighting the East Sea (South China Sea) situation.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishamuddin Hussein underscored the importance of regional cooperation to ensure that the East Sea is a water of peace and stability during the virtual ASEAN-US Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on August 4.
The Chairman’s Statement of the 28th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) has called for the maintenance of security and freedom of navigation in the East Sea, and acceleration of talks for the prompt signing of the Code of Conduct in the waters (COC).
The Philippines has emphasised the importance of maintaining navigation and overflight freedom in the East Sea, as well as the peaceful solution to disputes through international law.
Australia and France ministers have voiced serious concerns about the situation in the East Sea and called for all disputes to be resolved in a peaceful manner in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
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