Australia, US, Japan object against actions violating international law in East Sea
(VOVWORLD) - Australia, the US, and Japan have issued the 2022 Joint Vision Statement which strongly opposes any maritime claims and activities in the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Vietnam) that are inconsistent with international law, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
 From left: Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Japanese Minister of Defense Kishi Nobuo. (Photo: The Jiji Press) |
The statement said at a meeting on the sidelines of the 2022 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, Japanese Minister of Defense Kishi Nobuo, and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin strongly protested against any destabilizing or coercive unilateral actions that seek to alter the status quo and increase tensions in the area.
They reaffirmed the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal decision as final and legally binding on the parties to the dispute.
The ministers emphasized the importance of a peaceful resolution in accordance with international law, particularly as reflected in UNCLOS, including freedom of navigation and overflight and other legal uses of the sea.
They also reaffirmed their support for unimpeded lawful commerce.