US President Barrack Obama

(VOVworld) – On Tuesday, US President Barack Obama called for “tangible steps” to lower tensions in the East Sea. Speaking at a press conference held after the ASEAN-US Summit in Sunnylands, California, Obama said he and ASEAN leaders had discussed tensions in the East Sea and agreed that territorial disputes “should be resolved peacefully and through legal means”. Obama specified that “tangible steps” may include “a halt to further reclamation, new construction, or militarization of disputed areas”.

The East Sea was one of the main topics discussed during the two-day summit. The leaders adopted a joint statement that they will uphold the principles of international law, the UN Charter, and the ASEAN Charter as the defining principles of ASEAN-US ties.

They shared a commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes, with full respect for legal and diplomatic processes, without resorting to threats or the use of force in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law and the 1982 UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).