By Mark J. Valencia

On July 21 , United States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel gave a keynote speech at a conference on the South China Sea hosted by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

In response to a question regarding US neutrality on the disputes from Dr Wu Shicun, president of China's National Institute for South China Sea Studies, Mr Russel stated: "We are not neutral when it comes to adherence to international law. We will come down forcefully on the side of the rules. We take no position, however, on the underlying sovereignty claims. Our concern is with behaviour.

"We also care passionately about the right of a state to make recourse to legitimate international mechanisms as a means of defending its interest or seeking justice or resolution of a dispute."

The writer is adjunct senior scholar at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies in Haikou, China.

Read more: http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/the-issue-of-us-neutrality-in-south-china-sea-disputes