The United States of America has rejected China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea, reversing a previous policy of not taking sides in territorial disputes in the region and escalating tensions with Beijing on yet another front.
Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo said in a statement Monday; “We are making clear: Beijing’s claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them”.
The intensity of the long-simmering maritime dispute adds to conflicts over issues from trade and technology to cybersecurity and Trump’s efforts to blame China for the coronavirus pandemic that began there.
Most recently, the U.S. had raised concerns over China’s decision to conduct military exercises in the contested waters around the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. The Defense Department last week called the actions “unlawful.”
Beijing has rejected claims that it’s doing anything out of the ordinary in the South China Sea and has accused the U.S. of trying to sow discord between China and Southeast Asian nations
In the past, the U.S. has called for protecting “freedom of navigation” in the contested waterway while stopping short of taking a position on specific territorial claims.
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