U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday said that the U.S. supports the resumption of dialogue between China and Philippines to resolve the South China Sea dispute, Reuters reported.

Tensions between the two claimants have exacerbated in recent weeks, following the Permanent Court of Arbitration's ruling against China's claim over the disputed maritime territory.

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Kerry's comment came on the sidelines of an ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Laos, where he met with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday. During the meeting, Wang asked for the support of the U.S. to restart the stalled peace talk between Beijing and Manila.                       

"The foreign minister (Wang Yi) said the time has come to move away from public tensions and turn the page," Kerry told a news conference. "And we agree with that ... no claimant should be acting in a way that is provocative, no claimant should take steps that wind up raising tensions."

Commenting on the meeting between Wang and Kerry, the Philippines Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay said that Manila is equally supportive of resumption of peace talks with China. "We would like to pursue bilateral relationships in so far as the peaceful resolution of the dispute is concerned that is between the China and the Philippines," Yasay told reporters.

According to Reuters, a top official from Philippine Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that newly elected President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed former President Fidel Ramos to visit China and start informal talks over the maritime dispute. 

John Kerry's Visit to the Philippines  

John Kerry left for the Philippines late on Tuesday. This is Kerry's first visit to the Philippines since Rodrigo Duterte took office earlier this year. The two leaders are scheduled to meet in Manila on Wednesday.  

Speaking about his visit in Laos, Kerry said that he would encourage Philippine President Duterte to engage in dialogue with Beijing.

TagsJohn Kerry, china, China and Philippines, South China Sea