By U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, MaryKay Carlson
[Remarks at the Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea Panel on “Peace and Stability in the South China Sea: The Stakes of the International Community”, November 8, 2024.]
Good morning! Many thanks to the Philippine National Security Council, the Philippine Coast Guard, and Pacific Forum for organizing this important event. And thank you to Ambassador Romualdez for opening the discussion. I’m honored to join this panel with Dindo and my colleagues.
The United States, the Philippines, and our likeminded partners share a common vision for a free, open, prosperous, connected, and resilient Indo-Pacific region. Standing up for the rules-based order in the South China Sea is an integral part of advancing this shared vision. This is why the United States has been unequivocal in supporting the historic 2016 Arbitral Tribunal decision, a milestone that affirmed the rights of the Philippines in the South China Sea as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The Philippines and the United States are not alone – many nations have expressed support for the 2016 ruling, which, as set out in the text of the Convention, is final and legally binding on both the Philippines and the PRC. This is in part because of the implication of the ruling for the international community. By firmly rejecting the PRC’s expansive maritime claims and affirming the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the South China Sea, the Tribunal showed that international law is more than just a concept and that it applies to all countries regardless of their relative economic or military power. The great Philippine diplomat and statesman, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario, characterized it best. International law, he said, “allows the weak to challenge the powerful on an equal footing, confident in the conviction that principles trump power; that law triumphs over force; and that right prevails over might.”
The PRC has taken the opposite approach – “might makes right” – giving preference to big nations over small ones, as if this concept should be taken as “just a fact of life.” Despite the indisputable fact that the decision is final and legally binding on the parties to the dispute, the PRC continually rejects the tribunal’s ruling in its rhetoric and actions that clearly violate international law. The world has witnessed the PRC’s increasingly dangerous and escalatory actions over the past 18 months, as it unlawfully asserted a claim to territorial sovereignty over vast areas of ocean space, violently interfering with the Philippines’ high seas freedom of navigation in the waters, especially near Second Thomas Shoal, known here in the Philippines as Ayungin.
The PRC’s target is not only the Philippines, but also the lawful sovereign rights and jurisdiction over natural resources of Vietnam, Indonesia, and other ASEAN coastal states. Use of water cannons, ramming, and other aggressive actions demonstrate a disregard for lives and livelihoods. This further demonstrates that the PRC is unwilling to abide by international law – which rejects the PRC’s expansive maritime claims and supports the sovereign rights of the ASEAN South China Sea coastal States.
Upholding international law in the South China Sea – in addition to being the right thing to do from a legal standpoint – supports global prosperity. The Arbitral award affirmed that in vast maritime areas of the South China Sea, all nations enjoy freedom of navigation and overflight under international law, providing the legal foundation for trade, investment, and economic activity to thrive in the Indo-Pacific region. The South China Sea has some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, through which approximately one-third of the global economy runs. Total annual trade flowing through the South China Sea is estimated to be nearly $4 trillion U.S. dollars. It is also home to abundant biodiversity, and accounts for 12 percent of the global fish catch, generating $100 billion annually and supporting the livelihoods and critical dietary needs of millions. Zooming out, the Indo-Pacific region accounts for 60 percent of global GDP and two-thirds of global economic growth. Respect for freedom of the seas in the South China Sea is essential for this robust economic activity to continue.
I’m honored to sit with fellow representatives of countries who have made clear their support for the Philippines, the continued efficacy of international law, and for a free and open Indo-Pacific. We are far from alone. More and more nations – from East Asia to Western Europe – have spoken out to support the Philippines, uphold international law, and urge the PRC to cease escalatory and dangerous actions that impede the exercise of freedom of navigation and overflight from which all nations benefit. We are proud to be among the chorus of nations that have consistently lent their voices to supporting the Philippines and calling out unlawful and escalatory behavior. The collective voice of the international community is loud and getting louder, and it speaks to our common resolve in support of international law and the standards that benefit us all. We saw this common resolve in action this past September, when over 20 countries gathered on the margins of the UN General Assembly for a Ministerial discussion on maritime safety and security in the Asia-Pacific.
This panel carries the subtitle “the stakes of the international community.” It is clear: the stakes and the consequences are high. But together, as “friends, partners, and allies,” with international law on our side, we are determined to protect the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific.
Thank you. Maraming, maraming salamat po.
