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US looks forward to a binding COC, says senior diplomat on Jakarta visit
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Philippine fishermen sail past US coast guard ship Bertholf during a joint exercise of the Philippine and US coast guards near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on May 14, 2019. (AFP/Ted Aljibe)
U
nited States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink has said the US is looking forward to a legally binding Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, as ASEAN states and China prepare to resume negotiations.
He said the US stood for freedom of navigation, freedom of flight, unimpeded lawful commerce and peaceful resolutions of disputes across the South China Sea, adding that disputes in the region should be settled under international law.
Kritenbrink is in Indonesia for a three-day visit before flying to Malaysia on Thursday evening. He made the statement during a press briefing at the US Embassy in Jakarta on Wednesday.
“In light of that, we have continued to call for the effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct [DOC] of the parties," he said. "And we've long supported the conclusion of a binding Code of Conduct that recognizes the rights of all involved and that is fully consistent with international law."
Unlike ASEAN countries and China, the US is not party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. But Kritenbrink said the treaty still reflected customary international law and that the US operated “fully in compliance with UNCLOS”.
During his visit to Jakarta, the assistant secretary attended the ASEAN-US Dialogue at the ASEAN Secretariat on Tuesday, which Kritenbrink cochaired with the Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s director general for ASEAN cooperation, Sidharto Suryodipuro.
Kritenbrink also attended the ASEAN East Asia Summit's senior officials meeting on Wednesday and met some Indonesian officials in separate meetings.
