US reaffirms opposition to China’s unlawful claims in East Sea
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on August 4 held a phone talk with Bruneian Foreign Minister II Erywan Yusof, during which he reaffirmed Washington’s support for Southeast Asian countries in upholding their sovereign rights against China’s unlawful maritime claims in the East Sea.
Hanoi (VNA) - US Secretary of State MikePompeo on August 4 held a phone talk with Bruneian Foreign Minister II ErywanYusof, during which he reaffirmed Washington’s support for Southeast Asiancountries in upholding their sovereign rights against China’s unlawful maritimeclaims in the East Sea.
According to US Principal Deputy Spokesperson Cale Brown, Pompeo stressedthe US’s opposition to China’s efforts to use coercion to push its unlawfulmaritime claims in the sea.
Pompeo and Erywan also discussed the importance of continued bilateral securityrelations and expressed their commitment to work toward strengthening therelations.
Earlier on August 3,Pompeo had similar discussions with his Indonesian and Singaporean counterpartson bilateral ties and regional tensions related to China’s illegal sovereigntyclaims in the East Sea.
On July 15, Spokeswoman of the VietnameseForeign Ministry Le Thi Thu Hang said peace, stability, cooperation, anddevelopment in the East Sea are the common aspirations and goals of countriesbordering the East Sea as well as of those in the region and the internationalcommunity.
Upholding international law, respecting legalorder at sea, and fully and responsibly implementing the 1982 United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) are critical to realising thosegoals, she said.
Vietnam hopes that countries will exert utmost efforts to contribute to maintainingpeace, stability, cooperation in the East Sea and to settling disputes viadialogue and other peaceful measures in accordance with international law forcommon interest and in line with aspirations of countries in the region and theinternational community, she said, adding that Vietnam always makes active andresponsible contributions to this process./.
US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo affirmed on July 13 that the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Vietnam) are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them.
Australia will continue to strongly advocate the freedom of navigation through the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Vietnam), Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on July 16.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishamuddin Hussein on July 16 affirmed his country’s consistent position that parties should work together to ensure peace, security and stability in the East Sea (South China Sea).
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi discussed bilateral defence ties and regional tensions over China’s claim that it owns most of the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Vietnam), the US Department of State said in a readout of the conversation on August 3.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reiterated US support for Southeast Asian states upholding their sovereign rights and interests in the East Sea under international law.
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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (Photo: AFP) 
