Washington DC (VNA) – US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo affirmedon July 13 that the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s claims to offshoreresources across most of the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Vietnam)are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them.
“As such, the United States rejects any PRCmaritime claim in the waters surrounding Vanguard Bank (off Vietnam), LuconiaShoals (off Malaysia), waters in Brunei’s EEZ, and Natuna Besar (offIndonesia),” Pompeo said in a press statement about the US position on maritimeclaims in the South China Sea.
He stressed that any action conducted byChina to harass other states’ fishing or hydrocarbon development in thesewaters – or to carry out such activities unilaterally – is unlawful./.