US committed to freedom of navigation in South China Sea: WH

Washington: The US is committed to the principle of the freedom of navigation in the disputed South China Sea, the White House said today reaffirming its position that it favours peaceful resolution of territorial conflicts.

The Obama administration is committed to the principle of the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, said White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest.

"We certainly make no claim on any territory in that region of the world, but we are actively engaged in encouraging all sides who have a difference of opinion about those territorial claims to resolve them peacefully and through diplomacy to ensure that the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce continues uninhibited," he said.

"All of that is certainly consistent with the principle that the President identified in the Rose Garden, standing next to the Chinese president, when he reiterated that the US will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, and that certainly applies to the South China Sea region, he said.

China claims most of the South China Sea, where the Spratly islands are located and USD 5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims.