The South China Sea is grouped into three archipelagos (Archive)
Washington DC:
In one of the strongest attacks by the United States against Beijing’s illegal land claims in the strategic waters of the South China Sea, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stressed on Saturday that Washington’s policy in the region is very clear and said that the disputed territory in South China Sea (SCS) “is not China’s maritime empire.”
“The policy of the United States is very clear: the South China Sea is not China’s maritime empire. If Beijing violates international law and free nations do nothing, history shows that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) it will simply take more territory. The China Sea disputes must be resolved through international law, “Pompeo said in a tweet.
The South China Sea is grouped into three archipelagos. China claims almost the entire South China Sea as its sovereign territory and has aggressively asserted its involvement in recent years.
This comes weeks after the United States officially rejected China’s claims to offshore resources in most of the South China Sea, calling Beijing’s intimidation campaign to control them “completely illegal.”
Earlier on July 13, Pompeo had issued a statement on the United States’ position on maritime claims in the South China Sea, saying that the Chinese government has no legal basis to unilaterally impose its will on the region.
Washington announced that it is aligning the United States’ position on the Chinese government’s claims in the South China Sea with the decision of the 2016 Arbitration Court.
The Trump administration has tightened its stance toward Beijing, especially as relations between the two global superpowers continue to deteriorate in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and coercive behavior towards its neighbors, including India.
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