Kerry backs Philippine response to ruling on maritime dispute vs China

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday praised Manila’s handling of its territorial dispute with Beijing, as he and Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay downplayed the failure of Association of Southeast Nations (Asean) foreign ministers to address the issue.

Kerry, who is in Manila after attending the meeting of Asean foreign ministers in Vientiane, Laos, cited the Duterte administration for the “very responsible and measured way” it responded to the international arbitration ruling, which invalidated China’s historical claims to the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone at the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).