No country has the right to coerce and bully another country.

That was the assertion of US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Patrick Murphy when talking about the content mentioned at the Special ASEAN-US Foreign Ministers' Meeting held on May 4 (US time) in Washington DC.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (center) takes a souvenir photo with ASEAN foreign ministers before a working lunch at the US State Department, Washington on May 4 - Photo: Reuters

At the conference, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson emphasized that the Asia-Pacific region is a top priority for the Trump administration, with ASEAN being an important partner. This is the first official meeting between the two foreign ministers since Trump took office in January this year.

“US-ASEAN relations only get stronger”

In a telephone press conference with reporters from ASEAN countries, including Tuoi Tre, on the morning of May 5 (Vietnam time), Mr. Patrick Murphy, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said that at the conference, the two sides discussed a series of areas to strengthen the US-ASEAN strategic partnership, both in terms of economy and security.

Specifically, the two sides discussed the orientation of ASEAN-US relations in the coming time, US policy towards the region, international and regional issues of mutual concern such as the East Sea, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, counter-terrorism and cyber security.

According to Mr. Murphy, Southeast Asia, with a population of about 625 million people, is a large market for American businesses. In addition, the two sides have a lot of potential to develop people-to-people relations as more and more Southeast Asian citizens come to the US to study and vice versa.

The US is currently ASEAN’s fourth largest trading partner with a total two-way trade turnover of 212 billion USD in 2015, and is also the leading country in direct investment in ASEAN with a total value of up to 274 billion USD. In addition, the economic cooperation between the two sides has also created more than 5 million jobs in the United States.

“This relationship is only getting stronger. The new US administration is very committed to this region,” Mr. Patrick Murphy told reporters.

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the conference on May 4, on behalf of President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reaffirmed the US's commitment to the region, valuing and supporting ASEAN's central role in the evolving regional structure, pledging to continue supporting ASEAN in building the Community, emphasizing that ASEAN is an important economic partner of the United States, continuing to implement the ASEAN-US Connectivity Initiative, encouraging sustainable and equitable economic growth, and affirming that it will maintain training and development programs for ASEAN youth and women such as the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) and the Fulbright scholarship.

No one has the right to rape or bully

Speaking to reporters at a press conference on the morning of May 5, Mr. Patrick Murphy said that at the conference, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson affirmed to ASEAN foreign ministers that they can expect the US to claim legal and legitimate rights in the East Sea according to international law in the East Sea.

“US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson encourages all parties concerned to halt any activities related to militarization, construction, and land reclamation, which would benefit all,” said Mr. Patrick Murphy.

Mr. Murphy said the most specific goal of the US in the East Sea is that all parties can work together to find a lasting solution and no country has the right to coerce and bully others.

“The United States is not a claimant, but we are interested in the South China Sea and have interests in the Asia-Pacific region. We want to maintain a principles-based Asia-Pacific region,” Mr. Patrick Murphy emphasized.

At the meeting, the US-ASEAN Secretary of State emphasized that Southeast Asian countries and China need to ensure full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea signed by China and ASEAN in 2002 and mentioned efforts towards the early conclusion of a meaningful Code of Conduct (COC).