HANOI (Reuters) – U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink on Saturday mentioned the scenario within the South China Sea is deeply regarding, and mentioned China’s current actions within the disputed waterway had been “deeply destabilising”.
Kritenbrink made the feedback throughout a go to to Hanoi, amid rising rigidity between China and the Philippines within the South China Sea, the place Vietnam can be a claimant.
“We predict that China’s actions, significantly its current actions, across the Second Thomas Shoal, vis-à-vis the Philippines have been irresponsible, aggressive, harmful, deeply destabilising,” Kritenbrink mentioned at a briefing for chosen media in Hanoi, a recording of which was reviewed by Reuters.
“We will proceed to face with our Filipino allies,” Kritenbrink mentioned, including that Washington had made it clear, each publicly and privately, to Beijing that the mutual defence treaty obligations it has with the Philippines had been “ironclad”.
On Friday, Philippine officers mentioned they didn’t take into account invoking the mutual defence treaty with the U.S. after accusing China of aggressively disrupting a resupply mission within the disputed South China Sea earlier this month.
China’s overseas ministry disputed the Philippines’ account, with a spokesperson saying on Thursday that the required measures taken had been lawful, skilled and past reproach.
“We predict each nation within the area, together with China, must respect worldwide legislation and must behave responsibly within the maritime area,” Kritenbrink mentioned.
China claims nearly your entire South China Sea, a conduit for greater than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, together with components claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
In 2016, the Everlasting Courtroom of Arbitration in The Hague mentioned China’s claims had no authorized foundation, a choice Beijing has rejected.
Kritenbrink arrived in Hanoi on Friday on the heels of a go to to Vietnam by Russian President Vladimir Putin that was sharply criticised by Washington.
“Solely Vietnam can resolve how finest to safeguard its sovereignty and advance its pursuits,” Kritenbrink mentioned when requested about his view on Vietnam’s overseas coverage and its internet hosting of Putin.
Vietnam and the U.S. formally upgraded their relationship to a complete strategic partnership, Vietnam’s highest tier of its diplomatic rating, throughout a go to to Hanoi by President Joe Biden in September final yr.
Kritenbrink mentioned improve was “historic and momentous”, and mentioned he needed to keep up momentum to ensure that the entire agreements reached are carried out.
“We proceed to imagine that the U.S.-Vietnam partnership has by no means been stronger,” he mentioned.
(Reporting by Khanh Vu and Phuong Nguyen; Modifying by John Mair)
