Obama demands Congress approval of key UN maritime rules

Washington – US President Barack Obama asked Congress to ratify contentious UN maritime rules Thursday, hoping to strengthen his hand in a dangerous stand-off with Beijing over the disputed South China Sea. Addressing the US Air Force Academy in Colorado, Obama said that Congress should approve UN rules designed to peacefully resolve maritime disputes. This developed as defense ministers and military chiefs from around the world are attending Asia’s largest annual security forum that started yesterday in Singapore. Known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, territorial disputes in the South China Sea, North Korea’s military provocations and Islamist extremism are expected to dominate the discussions organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. Obama’s presidency has seen escalating diplomatic and military tensions over Beijing’s claim to territory throughout the South China Sea. The area is a vital shipping channel that is also believed to have significant energy and mineral deposits. It [...]