As the Biden administration reiterated that the Trump era rejected Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, China’s ambitions in the South China Sea suffered another setback on Sunday.
According to reports, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken upholds the 2016 decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in favor of the Philippines, stating that the U.S. will continue to protect the Philippine armed forces from attacks in the South China Sea. Associated Press.
At the same time, Beijing continues to terrorize the Philippines on controversial waterways. After Chinese militia ships stationed in the Whitsunday Islands under the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, relations between the two countries deteriorated.
Brinken’s statement marked the fifth anniversary of the ruling’s entry into force.Last year, the then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo upheld the arbitral tribunal’s ruling, and Officially refused China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea. He also accused China of trying to intimidate neighboring countries in Southeast Asia to give up their interests.
Brinken’s words echoed the same way. “The rule-based maritime order is most threatened in the South China Sea,” Brinken said. He accused China of continuing to “coerce and intimidate coastal countries in Southeast Asia and threaten the freedom of navigation on this critical global channel.”
Brinken also mentioned Pompeo’s original statement. “The United States reaffirms its July 13, 2020 policy on the South China Sea claim. We also reaffirm that armed attacks on the Philippine armed forces, public ships or aircraft in the South China Sea will invoke the United States’ common defense commitments,” he added.
He also urged Beijing to “comply with its obligations under international law (and) stop its provocative actions in the South China Sea.”
Soon after, the United States once again reiterated its “freedom of navigation” position. warship According to reports, the USS Benford was heading to the area CNN.
The guided-missile destroyer carried out Operation Freedom of Navigation (FONOP) on Monday near the Paracel Islands in the northwestern part of the South China Sea. The island is currently controlled by China through Vietnam, and Taiwan has also made demands on it.
“This freedom of navigation operation… by challenging China, Taiwan, and Vietnam’s illegal restrictions on innocent passage and challenging China’s claim to the Strait baseline, it safeguards the maritime rights, freedom, and legal use recognized by international law to encircle the Paracel Islands,” the U.S. Navy said Lieutenant Mark Langford said in a statement.
However, it is reported that the destroyer’s presence in the area has angered China, and China claims to have warned the ship to leave the vicinity of the disputed island or “take all consequences.” South China Morning Post.
Tian Junli, a spokesman for the Southern Theater of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and a colonel of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force, said in a statement: “This is another ironclad proof of the aggressive navigational hegemony and militarization of the United States in the South China Sea.” “The facts show that the United States is thorough.” South China Sea Security Risk Maker’,” Tian said.
Photo: U.S. Navy/Benjamin Dobbs
