Following a trip to Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Brunei, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink told reporters that many of our friends in Southeast Asia are concerned about the situation in the South China Sea. He said that concern was particularly acute in those countries making claims of sovereignty in the face of China’s sweeping claims to practically the entire South China Sea.
“We’ve seen in a number of instances where the People’s Republic of China has taken a number of steps in the South China Sea that both run counter to international law, but that also utilize coercion to intimidate partners in ways that we find deeply unacceptable and destabilizing,” he said.
Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink said the United States has a three-fold response to meeting the concerns sparked by such behavior:
“First, we continue to focus on our diplomacy, including with partners in ASEAN [The Association of Southeast Asian Nations], to make sure that all countries – including all claimants - base their claims in international law; that all claimants commit to recognizing and respecting freedom of navigation, freedom of overflight, and the peaceful resolution of disputes.”
Secondly, “We spend a great deal of time, effort and money investing in building … maritime domain awareness,” said Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink. “We believe that the more countries are able to understand what is happening in their maritime domains and defend their own interests … we further promote stability across the region.”
“Thirdly and finally, the United States continues through our own operations to be physically present in the region on a daily basis, and we continue to fly, sail, and operate everywhere that international law allows, demonstrating thereby that all countries share those same rights,” he said.
“Our goal,” declared Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink, “is to promote peace and stability, security and prosperity, respect for international law, [and] peaceful resolution of disputes, but also ensure that countries have their own ability to protect their sovereignty and their own interests. And we think if we do that, we maximize our chances of preventing miscalculation and conflict, and again promoting peace and stability.”
