U.S. President Barack Obama is currently attending the APEC summit in Manila when he declared his support for a peaceful resolution of the South China Sea territorial dispute. He also backed the Permanent Court of Arbitration's ruling that it has jurisdiction in the overlapping claims of the Philippines and China in the Spratlys Islands.

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Bloomberg reported that Obama and Philippine President Benigno Aquino had a one on one meeting to discuss the matter.

The Hague-based court recently issued a ruling that it has the jurisdiction to hear the case between the Philippines and China. However, China, which has claimed most of the South China Sea as part of its territory, has refused to participate in the proceeding. Although the Philippine is the only one actively pushing its case in the tribunal at the moment, other claimant countries may join in.

Earlier in the month, the Vietnamese government announced that it is currently monitoring the situation and may possibly also present its case to arbitration court.

Jack Kraska, a U.S. Naval War College researcher, said that even Malaysia and Indonesia, who are normally silent about China's activity in the South China Sea, are speaking out.

A senior Malaysian official recently said that he is bewildered why a certain "superpower" is intent on occupying a group of small islands and constructing airplane landing strips that are several thousands of kilometers away from its border. An Indonesian Minister also said that China's nine-dash territorial claim has no legal merit.

During his stay in Manila, Obama toured a Philippine Navy vessel and vowed that his administration will uphold the military defense agreement between the United States and the Philippines. Observers have quickly pointed out that Obama is in fact sending a warning to China over its continuing construction of artificial lands and airstrips in the disputed territory.

Obama presented the Philippines with two additional navy vessels to beef up its forces and financial assistance are also said to be underway. U.S. naval vessels dropping by in the Philippines have increased as tension mounts in the South China Sea.

In 2014, Washington and Manila signed a defense treaty that is currently being studied by the Philippine Supreme Court to determine if the treaty is in accordance with the law.

TagsU.S. President Barack Obama, President Benigno Aquino III, Territorial disputes in the South China Sea, South China Sea Case Permanent Court of Arbitration, the hague arbitration court, spartlys island, nine-dash claim