[ad_1]
This week, China launched at least four ballistic missiles during military exercises in the Paracel Islands. The US Department of Defense said the launches were a threat to peace and security in the region.
In a statement, the Pentagon said: “Conducting military exercises over disputed territories in the South China Sea is counterproductive in easing tensions and maintaining stability.
“The People’s Republic of China [People’s Republic of China] Actions, including missile tests, further destabilize the situation in the South China Sea.
“Such exercises also violate the PRC commitments under the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea to prevent activities that would complicate or aggravate disputes and affect peace and stability.”
Now, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has argued that the missile launches were “routine arrangements.”
He said during a press conference: “They are not directed at any country and they have nothing to do with the South China Sea disputes.
“There is no basis or reason for the relevant party to make that accusation.”
Despite the fact that the United States has no rights to any part of the disputed region, Washington has increased its military presence in the area.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged other nations to counter China’s dominance in the region.
READ MORE: China sends a big warning when the United States sends a warship to the disputed region
He said: “The United States has frequently sent advanced warships, fighter jets, and reconnaissance aircraft in large numbers to the South China Sea to project its power and engage in military provocations that undermine the sovereignty and security interests of the United States. China, as well as the normal order of navigation in the South China Sea. “
Lijian went on to argue that it is the United States, not China, that is causing problems in the region.
He continued: “The United States has become the saboteur and troublemaker of peace and stability in the South China Sea.
“The international community bears witness to all this.
“The US side must stop creating trouble and causing discord in the South China Sea and play a constructive role in safeguarding the stability of regional peace.”
However, the spokesman for the United States Pacific Fleet, Navy Lt. James Adams, defended the Navy’s actions.
He told Newsweek: “Illegal maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas, including the freedoms of navigation and overflight, unimpeded trade and economic opportunities for the littoral nations of the China Sea. Southern.
“The United States will never bow to intimidation or be forced to accept illegitimate maritime claims, such as those made by the People’s Republic of China.
“The behavior of the People’s Republic of China contrasts with the United States’ adherence to international law and our vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”
The South China Sea region is a hotly contested territory, facing rival property claims from China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan.
Diplomatic relations between the nations that have claimed the islands are already extremely tense.
The islands and surrounding reefs have been the subject of a bitter and protracted territorial dispute.
In recent months, fears of an outbreak of World War III emerged after China built military bunkers on some of the atolls.
[ad_2]
