US President Barack Obama on Saturday pressed his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping (習近平), on territorial disputes in the South China Sea, urging Beijing to uphold its legal obligations and stressing the US’ commitments to its regional allies.
Xi said China would continue to safeguard its sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea, according to a statement on the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Web site.
The two leaders and their delegations met for more than four hours before Obama and Xi talked one-on-one.
Photo: Reuters
After the meetings with Xi and his top officials, Obama emphasized the importance for China to “abide by its obligations” to an international maritime treaty in the dispute over rights to a territory rich in oil and fish through which US$5 trillion in trade travels each year.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, in July ruled that China had no historic claim over the waters of the South China Sea and had infringed on the rights of the Philippines, which brought the case under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Xi said in his talks with Obama that China “will persist in peacefully resolving disputes through consultations with parties directly involved.”
He urged the US to “play a constructive role” in the peace and stability of the region.
In an unusually lengthy statement following the meeting, the White House said Obama had “underscored the United States’ unwavering commitment to the security of its treaty allies.”
“The president reaffirmed that the United States will work with all countries in the region to uphold the principles of international law, unimpeded lawful commerce, and freedom of navigation and overflight,” the White House said.
China’s foreign ministry, in a separate statement, said the US should drop its “double standards on the South China Sea” and play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability.
Obama stressed the need for a “an open trade and investment environment” and “the need for China to protect religious freedom for all of its citizens,” the White House said.
China rejects criticism of its human rights record, arguing it has lifted millions out of poverty.
Cyber issues, from concern over hacking and cyberespionage to emerging Chinese policies on information technology, have also strained ties.
CHAOS: Iranians took to the streets playing celebratory music after reports of Khamenei’s death on Saturday, while mourners also gathered in Tehran yesterday Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the US, throwing the future of the Islamic republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old’s death early yesterday. US President Donald Trump said it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country. The announcements came after a joint US and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites. Trump said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue through the week or as long
An Emirates flight from Dubai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday afternoon, the first service of the airline since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday. Flight EK366 took off from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at 3:51am yesterday and landed at 4:02pm before taxiing to the airport’s D6 gate at Terminal 2 at 4:08pm, data from the airport and FlightAware, a global flight tracking site, showed. Of the 501 passengers on the flight, 275 were Taiwanese, including 96 group tour travelers, the data showed. Tourism Administration Deputy Director-General Huang He-ting (黃荷婷) greeted Taiwanese passengers at the airport and
TRUST: The KMT said it respected the US’ timing and considerations, and hoped it would continue to honor its commitments to helping Taiwan bolster its defenses and deterrence US President Donald Trump is delaying a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan to ensure his visit to Beijing is successful, a New York Times report said. The weapons sales package has stalled in the US Department of State, the report said, citing US officials it did not identify. The White House has told agencies not to push forward ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), it said. The two last month held a phone call to discuss trade and geopolitical flashpoints ahead of the summit. Xi raised the Taiwan issue and urged the US to handle arms sales to
State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) yesterday said that it had confirmed on Saturday night with its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil suppliers that shipments are proceeding as scheduled and that domestic supplies remain unaffected. The CPC yesterday announced the gasoline and diesel prices will rise by NT$0.2 and NT$0.4 per liter, respectively, starting Monday, citing Middle East tensions and blizzards in the eastern United States. CPC also iterated it has been reducing the proportion of crude oil imports from the Middle East and diversifying its supply sources in the past few years in response to geopolitical risks, expanding
RSS