Phl welcomes US Senate resolution condemning China sea coercion

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang welcomes the recent approval of a United States Senate resolution that denounces the use of force in the disputed East and South China Seas.

In a statement on Sunday, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) head Herminio Coloma Jr. said the US Senate, through Resolution No. 412, called for the peaceful settlement of disputes pertaining to claims by different countries, including the Philippines, over certain islands in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea.

The resolution is entitled "Reaffirming the strong support of the United States Government for the freedom of navigation and other internationally lawful uses of sea and airspace in the Asia-Pacific region, and for the peaceful diplomatic resolution of outstanding territorial and maritime claims and disputes."

It states that the US Senate condemns coercive and threatening actions or the use of force to destabilize the Asia-Pacific region.

According to the resolution, the US opposes territorial claims that have a negative impact on the rights, freedoms and lawful use of the sea that belong to all nations.

The document also urges all parties to refrain from engaging in destabilizing activities, including illegal occupation or efforts to unlawfully assert administration over disputed claims.

Pressing China

The US is calling on all claimants of the contested territories to clarify their claims in accordance with international law and to manage the disputes without intimidation.

The resolution specifically urges China to refrain from implementing the declared East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and to refrain from taking similar provocative actions elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region.

The document also calls on China to withdraw its oil rig and associated maritime forces from their current positions on the disputed waters and to refrain from maritime maneuvers contrary to international navigation rules.

Reaffirming defense support to Philippines

Through the newly approved resolution, the US also reaffirmed its "unwavering commitment and support" for allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific region such as the Philippines, which has a decades-old Mutual Defense Treaty with the superpower.

"This Resolution affirms the long-standing strategic partnership between the Philippines and the United States that is highlighted by the recent signing of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement," Coloma said in a statement on Sunday.

Coloma said the resolution also supports the increased efforts among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to flesh out a Code of Conduct that will govern maritime entitlements in the South China Sea.

The Palace official also noted that the US Senate resolution also acknowledges the Philippine' effort to resolve the South China Sea dispute by filing an arbitration case under the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea.