For first time ever, US officially rejects China’s ‘unlawful’ South China Sea claims

[Elderberry]

American Military News by  July 13, 2020 Laura Widener

The U.S. released its very first official statement rejecting most China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea as “unlawful.”

The official document released Monday afternoon by the U.S. State Department stated, “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 document rejects China’s claims to certain territories, such as James Shoal, located 50 nautical miles from Malaysia, as well as other specific territories off the coasts of Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines. China has claimed some of these territories in its “Nine-Dashed Line” claim announced in 2009, despite these territories being located up to 1,000 nautical miles away from China’s coast.

The U.S. does recognize China’s claim to the Spratly Island, but rejects any claim China makes beyond a 12-nautical mile limit of the Spratly Islands.

The U.S. position aligns with a 2016 Arbitral Tribunal decision, in which it rejected China’s claims as baseless against international law.

The document also rejects China’s aggressive behavior, including bullying and intimidation tactics used by China against other Southeast Asian coastal nations who also make territorial claims in the South China Sea.

More: https://americanmilitarynews.com/2020/07/for-first-time-ever-us-officially-rejects-chinas-unlawful-south-china-sea-claims/


South China Sea claims map (Voice of America/WikiCommons)

[Smokin Joe]

Good! About time!