“We strongly agree with the position of the international community that there should be a rules-based order in the South China Sea,” the statement said in response to the US position on maritime claims in the South China Sea.
The statement also urged China to comply with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling, which supported the Philippines in its territorial claim in the sea.
According to the statement, the Philippines plans to push for the finalization of a substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea to settle disputes and prevent the escalation of tensions in the region.
The response from the Philippines came after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a harsh statement on Monday calling most of China’s claims in the sea “completely unlawful.”
The Chinese Embassy in Washington responded in a statement saying that China “firmly opposed” the latest statement from Pompeo.