The United States, under a new government, has not changed its policy on the issue of the South China Sea as previously espoused by the Obama administration: That the disputes cannot hinder the rights of all countries to navigate, to fly, and conduct commerce through this important region. This was emphasized by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during the special US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers meeting which he hosted Thursday in Washington DC where he spent considerable time with his Southeast Asian counterparts talking about the South China Sea territorial disputes. In a press briefing, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Southeast Asia Patrick Murphy said that during the special meeting, Secretary Tillerson noted that, collectively working together, ASEAN and the US are quite aligned on the principles and the objectives with regards to ensuring that air and maritime transit in that region is free.

Mabasa, R. (2017, May 6). US policy on South China Sea remains. Manila Bulletin, pp. 1, 12.