Sydney (VNA) – Australia and the USunderlined the importance of countries’ ability to exercise their maritimerights and freedoms in the South China Sea (called East Sea in Vietnam), consistent with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including freedom of navigation and overflight and other internationally lawful uses of the sea related to these freedoms.
The two countries made the point in the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations Joint Statement, which was issued after US Secretary of StateAntony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hosted Minister forForeign Affairs, Minister for Women Marise Payne and Minister for DefencePeter Dutton of Australia in Washington D.C. on September 16 for the 31stAustralia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN 2021).
Adherence to international law is essential for regionaland international stability and prosperity, it stressed.
The officials conveyed concern regarding China’sexpansive maritime claims in the South China Sea that are without legal basis.They called on China to implement relevant domestic legislation, including theMaritime Traffic Safety Law, in a manner consistent with UNCLOS, and reiteratedthat the 2016 Arbitral Award is final and legally binding on the parties.
They also reiterated their strong opposition to the militarizationof disputed features and other destabilizing actions, including the dangeroususe of coast guard and maritime militia, and efforts to disrupt othercountries’ offshore resource exploitation activities./.
