Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Hanoi(VNA) – The US Department of Defence has voiced concern about China’s recentdecision to conduct military exercises, including the firing of ballisticmissiles around Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (internationally known as Paracel)Archipelago in the East Sea.
In a recent statement,the department said that conducting military exercises in the waters, alsoknown as the South China Sea, is counterproductive to easing tensions andmaintaining stability.
China’s actions,including missile tests, further destabilise the situation in the waters. Suchexercises also violate China’s commitments under the 2002 Declaration on theConduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) to avoid activities that wouldcomplicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, it said.
Thedepartment stated that the military exercise taking place from August 23-29 isthe latest in a long string of China’s actions to assert unlawful maritimeclaims and disadvantage its Southeast Asian neighbours in the East Sea.
The departmentalerted China in July that the US would continue to monitor the situation withthe expectation that China will reduce its militarisation and coercion of its neighboursin the East Sea. But China chose to escalate its exercise activities by firingballistic missiles.
Earlier,the US blacklisted 24 Chinese companies for helping the Chinese militaryconstruct and militarise the internationally condemned artificial islands inthe East Sea./.
VNA
