US rejects China’s maritime claims in East Sea
(VOVWORLD) - The United States rejects China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea beyond what it is permitted under international law and stands with Southeast Asian nations resisting its pressure, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.
Blinken made the remarks in a call with Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin, the US State Department said in a statement, in which he also stressed the importance of a long-standing defense agreement between the allies and its clear application if Manila came under attack in the South China Sea, called the East Sea in Vietnam.
Blinken’s assurances came after Locsin said on Wednesday the Philippines had filed a diplomatic protest over China’s passing of a law allowing its coastguard to open fire on foreign vessels, describing it as a “threat of war”.
The United States has accused China of taking advantage of the distraction of the coronavirus pandemic to advance its presence in the South China Sea.