The US secretary of state stressed that Washington notes dangerous vessel approaches and provocative actions in the region
The United States disagrees with those who try to argue that the situation in the South China Sea is none of Washington’s business because it has no claims to the area. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said this on Monday while addressing a high-level UN Security Council meeting on maritime security.
“In the South China Sea, we are seeing dangerous vessel approaches and provocative actions designed to bolster illegitimate claims to the waters”, – he said.
“Some may say that resolving disputes in the South China Sea is not a matter for the US, which has no claim there. But it is our business, and even more so, the responsibility of each country to defend the principles we have agreed to follow in order to peacefully resolve disputes at sea”, – Blinken added.
Beijing has been in dispute for decades with several countries in the region over the territorial ownership of a number of islands in the South China Sea, offshore of which significant hydrocarbon reserves have been discovered. These are primarily the Sisha Archipelago (Paracel Islands), the Nansha Islands (Spratly Islands) and the Huangyan Islands (Scarborough Reef). Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines are involved in the dispute to varying degrees. Since late 2013, China has been carrying out extensive hydraulic engineering and construction work to create artificial islands as well as to expand and develop these territories. Washington accuses Beijing of militarising the South China Sea. The PRC rejects such findings.
A high-level UN Security Council meeting on maritime security issues is being held Monday via videoconference. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi presides over the meeting. Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the meeting.