The U.S. is concerned about the situation in the South China Sea and frequently conducts warship freedom of navigation operations. The photo shows an MV-22B Fish Hawk warplane cooperating with the U.S. 7th Fleet in exercises in the South China Sea in September last year. Photo
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is again taking on the Chinese Communist Party. The U.S. Department of State announced that it will take further action to defend freedom in the South China Sea by imposing visa restrictions on individuals and companies responsible for the Communist Party’s expansion in the South China Sea, including Chinese Communist Party officials, PLA Navy officials, and senior executives of Chinese state-owned enterprises, while the U.S. Department of Commerce has also added China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) to its list of entities.
Pompeo over the statement pointed out that the hope to maintain freedom in the South China Sea, all countries should comply with the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea (Law of the Sea Convention), without fear of coercion. Therefore, the U.S. side to take further measures, where involved in the South China Sea reclamation, construction or militarization of expansion, or through coercive means to prevent Southeast Asian sovereignty claimants to obtain the South China Sea offshore resources of Chinese nationals will be banned from entering the United States, including the immediate family members of these people.
The statement criticized the Beijing authorities for continuing to send fishing fleets and energy survey vessels, as well as military escorts, to operate in waters that Southeast Asian countries have requested protection from, harass oil and gas development in the South China Sea, and implement the illegal “nine-dash line” claim.
Pompeo emphasized that all countries should enjoy the rights and freedoms guaranteed by international law, and that the United States will stand with Southeast Asian claimants who are defending their sovereignty and interests in accordance with international law and will continue to take action until Beijing stops coercing the South China Sea countries.
With oil and gas interests estimated at $2.5 trillion, the South China Sea has become a big fat in the eyes of the Chinese Communist Party, which has been expanding militarily in the South China Sea for years and has been sued by the Philippines in an international tribunal, which ruled on July 12, 2016, to reject the Communist Party’s maritime claims to the South China Sea, but unfortunately the matter was dropped when the Philippines replaced the pro-China Rodrigo Duterte in power.
The United States, on the other hand, began to get tough with the Chinese Communist Party after Trump took office, launching free navigation in the South China Sea and deterring the Chinese Communist Party from taking action. Pompeo said that the United States and all law-abiding countries in maintaining a free and open South China Sea, a few days ago there have been countries in the United Nations to the Chinese Communist Party’s South China Sea claim to protest, the United States welcomes this and will continue to take action until Beijing stops coercive behavior in the South China Sea.
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