US East Asia envoy says South China Sea situation deeply concerning

HANOI - US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink on June 22 said the situation in the South China Sea is deeply concerning, describing China's recent actions in the disputed waterway as "deeply destabilising".

Kritenbrink made the comments during a visit to Hanoi, 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," Kritenbrink said at a briefing for selected media in Hanoi, a recording of which was reviewed by Reuters.

"We're going to continue to stand with our Filipino allies," Kritenbrink said, adding that Washington has made it clear, both publicly and privately, to Beijing that the mutual defence treaty obligations it has with the Philippines were "ironclad".

On June 21, Philippine officials said they did not consider invoking the mutual defence treaty with the United States after accusing China of aggressively disrupting a resupply mission in the disputed South China Sea earlier in June.

China's Foreign Ministry disputed the Philippines' account, with a spokesman saying on 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 (S$4 trillion) of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia