US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that the world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its marine empire. On the other hand, China rejected the accusations, saying that they are not justified at all.
The United States has long opposed Beijing's claims to sovereignty in the South China Sea until it occasionally dispatches warships through the strategic waterway to demonstrate freedom of navigation there, and today's remarks highlight a more acute tone.
Pompeo stressed that the United States will stand with its allies and partners in Southeast Asia to protect their sovereign rights to marine resources consistent with international law.
In a statement, Pompeo accused China of using intimidation to undermine the rights of Southeast Asian countries.
The US Secretary of State considered that China's demands in the disputed areas in the region have no legal basis.
He stressed that the United States opposes any attempt to use coercion or force to settle disputes, and will continue to work to maintain freedom of navigation and free trade in the region, as he put it.
Reject and condemn
Washington rejects Beijing's claims to sovereignty over large areas of this region, including the Paracel Islands, which are often a concern.
In early July, the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) condemned China’s conduct of military exercises in the waters of the disputed Paracel archipelago in the South China Sea, saying that these exercises would “further destabilize” the situation in the region that is being disputed by China and Vietnam. And Taiwan.
In late April, China sought to reinforce its regional demands when it announced that Paracel, the neighboring Spratly Islands and the Macclesfield Bank will be managed within two new areas of Sansha, which China set up in 2012 on nearby Woody Island.
He refused and refused
On the other hand, China rejected the US State Department's statement accusing Beijing of seeking resources in the South China Sea, and described Washington's accusations of it to harass its neighbors as completely unjustified.
The Chinese embassy in the United States said in a statement on its website that the United States is not a country directly involved in the conflicts, yet it continued to interfere in this issue under the pretext of maintaining stability.
She added that Washington raises tension and incites confrontation in the region, adding that the Chinese side strongly opposes Pompeo's statements.