South China Sea dispute: John Kerry urges China, Philippines to abide by Hague tribunal's verdict

New Delhi: US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday said there was no military solution to the dispute in the South China Sea and called on China and the Philippines to abide by a decision on the issue by an international tribunal.

Addressing a townhall meeting with students during a visit to New Delhi, Kerry said the ruling by the international arbitration court was “final and legally binding on both parties.”

“This is a crucial opportunity to uphold the existing rules-based international order and don’t for an instance underestimate the importance of that order,” Kerry said.

Asked whether there was a military solution to the issue, Kerry said the US was not interested in fanning the flames of conflict but wanted to encourage parties to resolve their disputes.

“We support diplomacy in an effort to try to resolve this with an understanding that there really is no military solution, but on the other hand, we will stand up for our rights and we will stand with our allies, particularly where we have a defence agreement,” and the US would protect the rights of other nations on freedom of navigation, he said.

Beijing has dismissed the July 12 ruling, which invalidated China’s claims to most of the South China Sea. Although China has rejected the orde, it was interested in a negotiated resolution and had shown a willingness to engage, Kerry said.

His comments came ahead of the G20 summit which is hosted by China in its eastern city of Hangzhou from Sunday.