‘China can’t treat SCS as its maritime empire’

WASHINGTON: The United States has welcomed the statement by members of the Asean countries that South China Sea disputes should be resolved in line with the international law, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said on Saturday. “The United States welcomes Asean leaders’ insistence that South China Sea disputes be resolved in line with international law, including UNCLOS (United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea). China cannot be allowed to treat the SCS as its maritime empire,” Pompeo tweeted.
After the 36th Asean summit on Friday, a joint statement was issued by the members of the bloc expressing concerns over the current situation in the South China Sea.
They laid emphasis on the “importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation.”
Several islands and territories in the South China Sea are claimed by Beijing, but other countries including Indonesia, the Philippines and Brunei also have their territorial claim in the hotly contested region. Earlier, Pompeo tweeted on June 2 that the US has sent a letter to the UN secretary-general to protest China’s “unlawful South China Sea maritime claims”.