RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- President Barack Obama and the leaders of Southeast Asia called Tuesday for peaceful resolution of the region's maritime disputes as they concluded a summit in California.
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Obama said at a news conference that disputes must be resolved by legal means, including a case lodged by the Philippines challenging China's sweeping claims over most of the South China Sea.
China has refused to take part in the proceedings, but Obama said parties to the United Nations law of the seas agreement are obligated to respect the ruling, expected later this year.
Today, Taiwan said China had positioned anti-aircraft missiles on one of the disputed islands.
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said in a statement that it had "grasped that Communist China had deployed" an unspecified number of missiles on Woody Island in the Paracel group.
"The military will pay close attention to subsequent developments," the ministry's statement said. Relevant parties should "work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region to refrain from any unilateral measure that would increase tensions," the statement added.
Obama has been hosting 10 leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the U.S. for the first time.
But the leaders' joint statement after two days of talks avoided direct reference to China, reflecting the careful path that association members tread in their diplomacy with the world powers.
"Any disputes between claimants must be resolved peacefully through legal means such as the upcoming arbitration ruling under the U.N. Convention of the Law of the Seas, which the parties are obligated to respect and abide by," Obama said.
The Philippines filed its case in 2013 after Beijing refused to withdraw its ships from a disputed shoal under a U.S.-brokered deal. Despite China's refusal to participate, the arbitral tribunal based in The Hague has agreed to hear the case.
China says it has a historical right to virtually all of the South China Sea and has built seven artificial islands, some with airstrips, in the region. Taiwan and association members Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines also claim land features in the waters, an important thoroughfare for international shipping.
Though not a claimant, the U.S. has spoken out against China's conduct and has provoked Beijing by sailing Navy ships near some of the artificial islands to demonstrate freedom to sail there despite China's territorial claims.
Obama said the U.S. will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, and it will support the right of other countries to do the same.
The U.S. has long argued for the maritime-rights issue to be resolved peacefully and is looking for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to take a unified stance.
The diverse group of countries includes governments that lean toward either Washington or Beijing. Only four members are South China Sea claimants, leading to sometimes conflicting views on how to handle long-simmering rifts.
The United States' joint statement with the association did not refer directly to the arbitration case lodged by the Philippines, but it does urge "full respect for legal and diplomatic processes" in resolving disputes.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at a working dinner of the leaders Monday night that China's role in the region is expected to grow. Loong said China's larger presence likely will lead to occasional frictions, uncertainties and anxieties, including on the South China Sea, but these issues must be managed peacefully to preserve regional stability and security, the Singapore-based Channel News Asia reported.
The summit is the latest effort by Obama to deepen U.S. ties with the fast-growing economies of Southeast Asia -- a commitment he described as "strong and enduring." Obama plans to visit Vietnam in May, and then in the fall, become the first U.S. president to visit Laos.
Human-rights activists have criticized Obama for hosting Southeast Asian leaders who have not achieved power in free and fair elections. Obama said the U.S. would continue to stand with those in the region looking to advance rule of law and good governance.
He encouraged the return of civilian rule in Thailand, a long-standing U.S. ally, whose current prime minister gained power in a May 2014 military coup.
The leaders also discussed economic cooperation. Association members Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam are all party to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free trade pact that is the main plank of Obama's outreach to Asia.
Information for this article was contributed by Kevin Freking of The Associated Press.
A Section on 02/17/2016