Kerry Urges ASEAN, China to Resolve S. China Sea Dispute Without Force

September 29, 2013

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says China and Southeast Asian nations should resolve territorial disputes in the South China Sea without threats or force. U.S. is making an effort to work more closely with Indonesia to help mediate those rival maritime claims.

Southeast Asia is home to some of the world's busiest ports and most critical sea lanes, so stability there matters deeply to prosperity abroad, says Kerry.

"It matters around the worldm" he said. "That’s one of the reasons why the United States is so committed to maritime security, to the freedom of navigation on the seas, and to resolving the disputes with respect to territory and achieving a code of conduct with respect to that."

A code of conduct is critical to unimpeded lawful commerce, Kerry told a meeting of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN.

"That’s why China and ASEAN should move as swiftly as possible to reach a binding code of conduct for addressing disputes without threats, without coercion, and without use of force," he said.

China is facing competing claims in the South China Sea from the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, and Taiwan. But the disputes affect different ASEAN members differently, diluting the urgency of a code of conduct, says Asia analyst Michael Auslin.