Clinton seeks to calm Asian waters

HANOI, Vietnam, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Asian countries' disputes over maritime sovereignty should be resolved diplomatically, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Vietnam Saturday.

Speaking at the fifth annual two-day ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, Clinton sought to soothe rising tensions between China, Japan and South Korea, The Wall Street Journal reported.

"The United States has a national interest in the freedom of navigation and unimpeded lawful commerce," Clinton said in her address to the Southeast Asian conference. "And when disputes arise over maritime territory, we are committed to resolving them peacefully based on customary international law."

The most intense dispute is over islands in the East China Sea occupied by Japan, but claimed by China. The Chinese call them the Diaoyu Islands, while the Japanese call them Senkaku.

An unidentified U.S. official told reporters the United States was concerned with the tensions.

"We have made very clear to both sides that we want the temperature to go down," the official said.