U.S. freedom of navigation program complemented by international agreements like UNCLOS

To the extent the United States continues to have a need for unrestricted, legal access for its naval forces up to the territorial waters of all the countries of the world, we believe it should continue to use vehicles such as the Freedom of Navigation Program to assert these rights, but should also supplement this with other arrangements and understandings with foreign security partners. A sufficiently dense network of such arrangements and understandings, followed by consistent practice, will ensure the vitality of customary norms. In the end, it is our view that this is an approach that will ensure the best balance among an ongoing network of lawful naval and military activities, stable international law, freedom of navigation for ocean-going commerce, and is an approach that will protect interests common to all in an internationally interdependent world.