U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday met with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, to underscore the importance of the two countries’ defense alliance.
Kerry, who arrived in Manila on Tuesday evening, said his visit was to underscore “the value that the United States places on the alliance and the true friendship and relationship with the Philippine.
He noted that Philippines is the America’s longest defense treaty ally in Asia.
Kerry said Washington was looking forward to working with the Duterte administration to further boost cooperation.
The secretary of state, who earlier met with Philippine Foreign Secretary, Perfecto Yasay, stressed the need for claimants of disputed areas of the South China Sea to avoid confrontation.
Kerry said a ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the territorial dispute between the Philippines and China should “lead to mutually acceptable solutions.
“We have made clear that the decision of the arbitral tribunal convened under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is legally binding and that we expect that the parties would comply with their obligations under the law.
“But we are not trying to create a confrontation. We are trying to create a solution, mindful of the rights of people that are established under the law”, he said.
Kerry dismissed fears that the ruling would become irrelevant with China refusing to recognise it.
“It’s impossible for it to be irrelevant.
“It’s legally binding and it’s obviously a decision of the court that is recognised under international law and it has to be part of the calculation’’, he said.
On July 12, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China has no legal rights to claim a large swathe of the South China Sea, in a case brought by the Philippines. (dpa/NAN)
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