Steps taken by China in South China Sea destabilizing – US

MANILA, Philippines — Steps taken by China in the South China Sea that were coercive and against international law are “destabilizing” and “deeply unacceptable,” a ranking State Department official said yesterday.

“We have seen in a number of instances where the People’s Republic of China has taken a number of steps in the South China Sea that both run counter to international law, but that also utilize coercion to intimidate partners in ways that we find deeply unacceptable and destabilizing,” Assistant State Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink said at an online press briefing.

The US was among the countries and institutions that strongly condemned the China Coast Guard’s latest attempt last Tuesday to stop Filipino vessels from delivering supplies and provisions to troops stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

Kritenbrink said the focus of the US in the Indo-Pacific including in Southeast Asia is investing in the collective capacity of its partners to support a rules-based regional order and to advance shared challenges.

“I would say in particular for many of our friends in Southeast Asia, especially the five claimant states, they are especially concerned about the situation in the South China Sea,” he added.

The official stated that the US continues to focus on diplomacy, including with partners in ASEAN, to make sure that all countries, including all claimants in the South China Sea are committed to recognizing and respecting freedom of navigation, freedom of overflight, and the peaceful resolution of disputes.

“So the United States has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in partners’ maritime domain awareness capabilities because we believe that the more countries are able to understand what is happening in their maritime domains and defend their own interests in the maritime domains, we further promote stability across the region,” he added.

He noted that the US continues to be physically present in the region on a daily basis and continues to fly, sail and operate everywhere that international law allows, demonstrating that all countries share those same rights.

“So our goal, again, is to promote peace and