US: South China Sea tension 'a little' toned down

MANILA, Philippines — The territorial row between China and its neighbors, including the Philippines, over the South China Sea has become less intense in the past weeks, the US Department of State said Friday.

Marie Harf, deputy spokesperson, confirmed the observation that rival claimants have "toned down," not exchanging statements asserting their claims and not making moves that would escalate the tension.

Harf said that the department noted the disputes to have been "a little different" the past days.

"I would take a little – I mean, we’ve seen China actually increasingly take steps that have led to tension and we believe are destabilizing and trying to change the status quo," Harf said.

China has removed its contentious oil rig in Vietnam-claimed waters near the Paracel Islands, saying the commercial operations have already completed.

In this May 7, 2012 file photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, Haiyang Shiyou oil rig 981, the first deep-water drilling rig developed in China, is pictured at 320 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Hong Kong in the South China Sea. AP/Xinhua, Jin Liangkuai, File

Read: China moves oil rig out of waters Vietnam claims

Carl Thayer, emeritus professor on foreign affairs at the University of New South Wales, said that besides the cessation of the petroleum drilling, the oil rig was likely driven away by powerful Typhoon Glenda (international name Rammasun).

He also said, in a post on The Diplomat, that pressure from the US in the Strategic and Economic Dialogue earlier this month could have possibly convince China to withdraw the oil rig as the US calls for a "freeze" in provocative actions in the contested seas.

Still, Washington urged involved parties to work on a diplomatic mechanism such as creating a binding Code of Conduct setting rules for behavior over the disputed maritime area.

"We are encouraging parties though to work together on these issues and to try to resolve them without any additional escalation," Harf said.

She also revealed that Japan is exploring setting up a hotline with China for both sides "to deal with these issues directly when they arise to prevent tensions from escalating."

"There are a number of different ideas we talk about with our partners in the region. Again, all in trying to get the same goal here," Harf said.

On Thursday, foreign ministers from the European Union expressed the same "serious concerns" aired by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations over actions that have "increased tensions" at sea.

The Ministers underscored the importance of maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the region and promoting maritime security and safety, freedom of navigation and over-flight, unimpeded commerce, the exercise of self-restraint, including the use or threat to use of force, and the resolution of disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the relevant standards and recommended practices by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).