US condemns China’s ‘dangerous’ activities in the South China Sea – DW – 11/10/2024

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concern over China’s “increasingly dangerous and unlawful” activities in the South China Sea during a meeting with ASEAN bloc leaders on Friday.

Blinken said in his opening remarks at the US-ASEAN summit: “We remain concerned about China’s increasingly dangerous and unlawful actions in the South and East China Seas, which have injured people, damaged ASEAN ships and contradict the promises for a peaceful solution. of disputes.”

Blinken, who replaces President Joe Biden, told Southeast Asian leaders gathered in Laos that the United States “will continue to support freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight in the Indo-Pacific.”

‘More urgency needed in ASEAN-China negotiations’

Tensions are high in the disputed South China Sea, amid escalating clashes between Chinese ships and those from the Philippines and Vietnam.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said at the summit on Thursday that his country “remains a victim of intimidation and intimidation” by China.

He said China’s actions kept the region tense, adding that Beijing was violating international law.

The South China Sea, a crucial global trade route, is claimed almost entirely by China, despite overlapping claims by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The Philippines called for greater urgency in negotiations between ASEAN and China on a code of conduct for the governance of the South China Sea, a cause backed by Malaysia, which takes over as ASEAN’s rotating chairman next year.

Beijing has rejected a 2016 international arbitration ruling by a U.N.-affiliated court in The Hague that invalidated its broad territorial claims while continuing to build and militarize islands under its control.

Blinken urges China to avoid “provocative” actions against Taiwan

Blinken also asked China on Friday to refrain from any “provocative” action against Taiwan, after Beijing responded strongly to a speech by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.

In a speech on Thursday, Lai vowed to “oppose any annexation or infringement of our sovereignty.” China later warned that such “provocations” would result in a “disaster” for Taiwan.

Blinken urged both sides to maintain the status quo and not take action to undermine it.

“China should not in any way use it as a pretext for provocative actions,” Blinken told reporters. “On the contrary, we want to reinforce the need – and many other countries want to do so – to maintain the status quo, and that neither side take any action that could undermine it.”

The US diplomat pointed out that peace and stability in the region are crucial to sustaining the global economy, given the trade that passes through the region.

China remains defiant over claims

On Thursday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang struck a defiant tone, repeating China’s claim that it was merely protecting its sovereign rights in the region, officials said.

Li also said that “external forces” were trying to “introduce bloc confrontation and geopolitical conflict in Asia.”

Although Li mentioned each country directly, Beijing had in the past questioned the US role in the issue.

The US has no claims in the South China Sea but has deployed naval ships and fighter jets in the area, questioning China’s claims over the disputed waters.

Meanwhile, the topic of Myanmar was also discussed during the ASEAN meeting. Myanmar’s junta has sent a representative to the summit for the first time in more than three years.

ss/rmt (AP, AFP)