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Summary Clinton did not criticise China directly but voiced over the establishment of a remote garrison.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Monday against coercion in the conflict-riven South China Sea and voiced hope that Beijing would find a peaceful resolution with Southeast Asian nations.With tensions mounting in recent months between China and other claimants to the strategic waterway, Clinton on a visit to Indonesia declared anew that the United States found a national interest in ensuring freedom of navigation.Clinton, who heads Tuesday to Beijing, did not criticise China directly but voiced clear unease over the fast-growing Asian powers recent establishment of a remote garrison in the sea hotly disputed among six states.The United States believes very strongly that no party should take any steps that would increase tensions or do anything that would be viewed as coercive or intimidating to advance their territorial claims, Clinton said.We believe the nations of the region should work collaboratively together to resolve disputes without coercion, without intimidation, without threats and certainly without the use of force, Clinton said.Clinton, speaking at a news conference with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, urged progress on a code of conduct to manage the overlapping disputes, warning that a miscalculation could escalate the situation in the tense waters.During Clintons last visit to the region in July, foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, failed to reach a consensus that would allow them to negotiate jointly with China.Clinton praised a subsequent declaration by the ASEAN foreign ministers, led by Natalegawa, who recommitted to a peaceful resolution of disputes and to a unified position on a code of conduct.Clinton, who will become the first US secretary of state to visit all ASEAN nations when she stops in Brunei later this week, expressed optimism that the elusive code of conduct could come closer to reality in time for a November summit to be attended by President Barack Obama.I think we can make progress before the East Asia Summit and its certainly in everyones interest that we do so, she said.The Indonesian foreign minister voiced support for ASEAN unity and said that the overlapping claims in the South China Sea must be resolved peacefully. But Natalegawa, who last month welcomed Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to Jakarta, said that the diplomatic efforts should not be seen as targeting Beijing.Its important to underscore ASEAN unity is not meant to be at the expense of any other party. Its not about us rallying around to counter or to put any other country on the spot, he said.The Philippines and Vietnam have both accused China of an intimidation campaign over territorial disputes in the South China Sea, a waterway through which half of the worlds cargo sails. But several Southeast Asian nations including Cambodia have close ties with China and have been less enthusiastic about taking a hard line.In a show of support for ASEAN, Clinton will on Tuesday visit the blocs headquarters in Jakarta and meet its secretary-general, Surin Pitsuwan.Ahead of the talks, Surin cautioned that too much attention on the issue could prove counterproductive. He said: We just hope that all the attention and the concern would not add to the fragility and instability over the issue. We want a conducive environment that would enable us to achieve the COC as soon as possible.
