US and Australia warn China on sea access

from Channel News Asia: The United States and its Pacific ally Australia warned China on Tuesday that they remain committed to freedom of navigation in the waters of the South China Sea.

China has maritime territorial disputes with several of its southeast Asian neighbors and is trying to bolster its claim by building artificial islands.

According to senior US officials, speaking on condiction of anonymity, Washington is drawing up a plan to sail by these islands in the coming days or weeks. The warship or ships would pass within the 19-kilometre territorial limit China claims around the structures to demonstrate that US commanders do not recognise it.

Meanwhile, after an annual two-day meeting, the US and Australian defence and foreign minsters said they do not have a view on the legal arguments of the dispute. But they warned that they will continue to support freedom of navigation and send ships and planes through what they regard as internationals water in the region.

US Defence Secretary Ash Carter joined Secretary of State John Kerry (pictured) and their Australian counterparts Marise Payne and Julie Bishop (pictured) in Boston.

"Australia and America both want to sustain and renew an Asia-Pacific regional security architecture where everyone rises and everyone prospers," Carter said.

"But make no mistake," he warned "the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as we do around the world. And the South China Sea is not and will not be an exception."

Carter said this was not just a US commitment, but was shared by Washington's major regional allies Japan, the Philippines, India and Vietnam.

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