Australia weighs in, backs US in sea row

From the Manila Standard Today (Jun 3): Australia weighs in, backs US in sea row

Australia’s Defense Minister David Johnston on Monday said that he supports the statement made by his US counterpart, Chuck Hagel, who had accused China of “destabilizing actions” in the South China Sea.

Johnston said he agreed that China’s actions were “quite damaging to the future economic prospects” in the region.

“The US, Australia and Japan are very concerned that unilateral action is destabilizing the region of the South China Sea particularly, and the East China Sea.”

He added that “this instability is unwarranted and quite damaging to the future economic prospects. So I do share Secretary Hagel’s concerns.”

Johnston said that Australia did not take sides in territorial disputes between China and other countries, but said Canberra would attempt to persuade the Asian superpower there was “another path”.

Australia, along with the United States and Japan, is a strategic partner of the Philippines and in fact has started a continuing initiative with the Philippines in establishing the Asean Regional Forum which held its initial staging in Manila in 2011.

In the 2ND ARF held last May 28 and 29, the Philippines urged fellow member-nations in the Southeast Asian Nations to work for the full implementation of the United Nation Convention the Law of the Sea (Unclos), which would clearly define the boundaries among Asean members and avoid conflicting claims on territories in the region.

The Foreign Affairs Department said that the call was made following several incident surrounding the conflicting claims in the South China Sea, where four of the Asean members, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, have overlapping claims.

“It is imperative that all countries are clear on the various provisions of UNCLOS and their proper interpretations. This is why the full operationalization of the dispute settlement mechanisms provided by the UNCLOS is crucial. By subjecting our disputes to the full weight of the Convention, we elevate the rule of law from theory to practice,” DFA assistant secretary for legal affairs Eduardo Jose de Vega said during the 2nd Asean Regional Forum held May 28 to 29.

De Vega said that it is timely for member-state to fully implement the 1982 Unclos, where China is also a signatory, amid the ongoing territorial disputes over the oil-resource-rich South China Sea.

The seminar featured presentations from experts from all over the world on the intricacies of UNCLOS and its provisions and applications, particularly in maritime boundary delimitation, possibilities for cooperation, and dispute settlement.

The participants also discussed the emerging issue of protecting marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ).

The expert speakers put forward several recommendations, including the establishment of a fisheries commission in the South China Sea to protect fish stocks in the area, as well as a mechanism under the ARF for the settlement of maritime disputes in the region.

The participants also discussed the clarification of maritime claims to facilitate not only the settlement of disputes, but also the joint development of marine resources outside disputed areas.

Representatives dealing with Law of the Sea issues from 21 countries and the European Union attended the seminar, a continuing initiative of the Philippines and Australia that began with the 1st ARF Seminar on UNCLOS in Manila in 2011.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/06/03/australia-weighs-in-backs-us-in-sea-row/