US President Barrack Obama on Tuesday called for an end to land reclamation, new construction and all other activities contributing to the militarization of the South China Sea even as reports spread that China has deployed surface-to-air missile systems in the contested waters.

Obama made the statement at the conclusion of the US-led two-day summit with leaders of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the California resort of Sunnylands.

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In his closing remarks, Obama called for a halt to "reclamation, new construction and militarization" of Asia's oceans -- a barely veiled reference to China's rapid construction of artificial islands, airfields and other facilities in the South China Sea.

"Any disputes between claimants must be resolved peacefully through legal means such as the upcoming arbitration ruling under the UN Convention of the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), which the parties are obligated to respect and abide by," Obama said, referring to the case filed by the Philippines against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague.   

"Reaffirming Commitments"

The Philippines filed a case before the PCA three years ago in a bid to stop China's land reclamation activities in the South China Sea.  The Philippine government has said it is confident the international tribunal will issue a ruling on the case by May.    

Obama stressed the need for freedom of commerce in Southeast Asia, adding that the US and its partners in the ASEAN are "reaffirming our strong commitment to an international order" with rules and norms that are universally observed, and where "the rights of all nations, large and small" are respected.

Political analysts have noted that the US-ASEAN joint statement falls short of the aggressive approach on issues surrounding the South China Sea which they say claimants like the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia would have preferred.  Instead, the statement embraced broad principles that reflected "the careful path that ASEAN members tread with the world powers," according to the Associated Press.

This has led observers to speculate that ASEAN nations with close economic ties with China were reluctant to risk an open confrontation with their economic benefactor.

'Trumped' Thunder

The White House had tenaciously promoted the significance of the gathering all through last week, and Obama outlined an agenda of critical economic and security issues for his guests.

However, as with his previous engagements with Asian leaders, Obama's moment as "America's Pacific President" was eclipsed by other news. 

This time it was the Republican presidential campaigns and the death of US Supreme Court Justice Antonine Scalia.

Not a single reporter asked about the summit -- or the reported presence of Chinese missiles in the Paracel Islands -- during the press briefing that followed Obama's closing remarks.

Demonstrators gathered at Sunnylands on Monday to protest against on-going human rights and governance issues in some of the ASEAN member countries, as well as Obama's Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement.

The Washington Post earlier called the summit "an unseemly parade of dictators," noting that -- of the 10 leaders in the ASEAN -- only those of the Philippines and Indonesia have been elected through fair democratic means.

But some analysts have argued that Washington has to get its hands dirty if it wishes to retain its influence over the Asia Pacific -- a strategic long term goal for the US government that could entail its involvement in the region for years to come. 

"The Post is correct that some of the more autocratic leaders will use the photo opportunities at Sunnylands to bolster their legitimacy back home," said Aaron Connelly of the Lowy Institute for Policy in Sydney in a report published last week by The Interpreter.  "That is unfortunate, but it is also an unavoidable consequence of diplomacy."  

TagsUS-China relations, China-ASEAN, Territorial disputes in the South China Sea