Palace says US, Japan, Australia have interests in sea row

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines on Monday defended its allies which were accused by China of using their alliances to intervene in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) row.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda noted that the United States (US), Australia and Japan have interests in the disputed areas to protect freedom of navigation.

“A big percentage of world’s trade passes through our waters—the waters that is a subject of dispute right now. Do they have an interest? Yes, they have an interest because of freedom of navigation,” Lacierda said.

Lacierda was asked to react to a statement by China, which earlier asked the three countries to stay out of the territorial dispute.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said their alliance should not become an excuse to interfere in the dispute as this could “make the problems more complicated and harm the interests of all parties.”

"We urge the relevant countries to respect facts, distinguish right from wrong, be cautious, and stop all words and deeds that are not beneficial to the proper handling of the issue and undermine regional stability," she said.

China also claimed that there has not been a problem with freedom of navigation in the region for a long time.

On Friday, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop, Japanese Foreign Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida and US Secretary of State John Kerry met in Bali, Indonesia to discuss emerging regional and global issues.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting attended by regional leaders including President Aquino.

Tfter the meeting, the three ministers issued a joint statement rejecting what they called “any coercive or unilateral actions that could change the status quo in the East China Sea.”

“The ministers affirmed the importance of peace and stability, respect for international law, unimpeded trade and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea,” the statement read.

“They called on claimants to refrain from actions that could increase tensions, to clarify and pursue claims in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and for ASEAN and China to agree on a meaningful Code of Conduct.”

China claims almost the entire West Philippine Sea while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

China has been shoring up its presence in disputed areas through the conduct of maritime patrols, triggering concerns about its impact on freedom of navigation.

The Philippines has filed a case against China before the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea, saying Beijing’s territorial claim was “exaggerated.”

China wants to settle the dispute through bilateral talks but the Philippines believes the row should be resolved through rule of law and international arbitration.