US walang dahilan para mag-overreact sa multilateral cooperation ng Pilipinas, Amerika, Australia at Japan

Walang nakikitang rason ang pamahalaan ng Amerika para mag-overreact ang China sa “multilateral cooperation” sa pagitan ng Pilipinas, Amerika, Australia at Japan sa South China Sea.

Sa panayam ng Philippine media delegation sa Washington, sinabi ni White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby, na may mga susunod pang aktibidad ang apat na bansa sa South China Sea.

“I can’t speak for the PRC (People’s Republic of China) reaction, one way or another, except to say there is no reason to overreact to this,” pahayag ni Kirby.

Ang isyu ayon kay Kirby ay kaugnay sa freedom of navigation at pagsunod sa international law.

“This is about freedom of navigation; it’s about adherence to international law; it’s about proving the simple point that we and our allies will fly, sail and operate wherever international law permits us to do and it does in the South China Sea, and we did,” dagdag ni Kirby.

Ayon may Kirby, mahigpit na binabantayan ng Amerika ang mga aktibidad at ang tensyon sa South China Sea.

“And, I think you can look forward to additional opportunities for us to conduct those kinds of maritime patrol. But they are really about reconfirming a simple principle about international maritime law in international waters,” pahayag ni Kirby.

Hinikayat ni Kirby ang China na sumunod sa 2016 Hague-based decision na binibigyang pagkilala ang sovereign rights at hurisdiksyon ng Pilipinas sa ilang lugar sa South China Sea.

“As I said, we are, we’ve been watching those tensions with great concern,” pahayag ni Kirby.

“We again urge the PRC to abide by the 2016 ruling, and to recognize as we do that the second time a show of force within the Philippine economic exclusion area and we will continue to make that point when the President spoke to President Xi, he very clearly made our concerns known about Chinese activities in the South China Sea,” saad ni Kirby. (DDC)