Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott voiced his country’s stance
on the East Sea issue on June 4, opposing China’s unilateral moves to expand
its territory in the sea.
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| Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott |
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott voiced his country’s stance
on the East Sea issue on June 4, opposing China’s unilateral moves to expand
its territory in the sea.
In an interview in Canberra, he said Australia has maintained a
clear position on the East Sea, not taking sides in the many territorial
disputes in that region but deploring any unilateral alteration of the status
quo.
He held that disputes should be settled peacefully in accordance
with international law, and Australia will do what the country can to uphold
freedom of navigation on the sea and in the air. “It's long been our position
and it will continue to be our position,” he stated.
At a security dialogue in Singapore late last week, Australian
Defence Minister Kevin Andrews also called on China to stop the construction of
artificial islands in the East Sea.
Australia had made clear its opposition to any coercive or
unilateral actions to change the status quo in the East Sea or East China Sea,
he said.
He said his country is particularly concerned with the prospect of
militarisation of artificial structures, stressing that all regional partners
represented in the area have an enduring interest in maintaining safe and
stable maritime trade and air passage.
Meanwhile, US authorities revealed that China built up about 800
hectares of new territory in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago,
including 600ha so far this year.
Source: VNA
