Fmr US Secretary of Defense disccuses South China Sea arbitration

World Today

China was responding to a White House comment that for the first time characterized the South China Sea as a top U.S. national interest.

Each side has accused the other of ‘militarizing’ the area, and of taking actions that undermine security and stability in the region.

For more on South China Sea arbitration, CCTV’s Chief political correspondent Wang Guan spoke to former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen.

“America tries to show that it is not taking merits from the South China Sea arbitration case, but rather, it is supporting the process of it under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. But ironically, U.S. hasn’t rectified the convention but it abides by it nonetheless. China has legitimate, legal, maritime issues that need to be resolved, and they should be resolved according to established international laws. As for U.S. position, it simply wants to see these issues resolved peacefully,” he said.