HANOI, June 23 — United States (US) Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink has said the situation in the South China Sea is deeply concerning and that China's recent actions in the disputed waterway are "deeply destabilising".
He made the comments during a visit to Hanoi yesterday amid rising tension between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, where Vietnam is also a claimant.
"We think that China's actions, particularly its recent actions, around the Second Thomas Shoal, vis-à-vis the Philippines have been irresponsible, aggressive, dangerous, deeply destabilising.
"We are going to continue to stand with our Filipino allies," Kritenbrink said at a briefing for selected media in Hanoi, a recording of which was reviewed by Reuters.
He added that Washington had made it clear, both publicly and privately, to Beijing that the mutual defence treaty obligations it has with the Philippines were "ironclad".
On Friday (June 21), Philippine officials said they did not consider invoking the mutual defence treaty with the US after accusing China of aggressively disrupting a resupply mission in the disputed South China Sea earlier this month.
China's Foreign Ministry disputed the Philippines' account, with a spokesperson saying on Thursday (June 20) that the necessary measures taken were lawful, professional, and beyond reproach.
"We think every country in the region, including China, needs to respect international law and needs to behave responsibly in the maritime domain," Kritenbrink said.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than US$3 trillion (RM14.13 trillion) of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague said China's claims had no legal basis, a decision Beijing has rejected.
Kritenbrink arrived in Hanoi on Friday, following Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Vietnam, which Washington sharply criticised.
"Only Vietnam can decide how best to safeguard its sovereignty and advance its interests," he said when asked about his view on Vietnam's foreign policy and its hosting of Putin.
Vietnam and the US officially upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, Vietnam's highest tier of its diplomatic ranking, during a visit to Hanoi by President Joe Biden in September last year.
Kritenbrink said the upgrade was "historic and momentous" and said he wanted to maintain momentum to make sure that all of the agreements reached are implemented.
"We continue to believe that the US-Vietnam partnership has never been stronger," he said.
— Reuters
