The Trump administration has rejected Beijing's maritime claims over large swaths of the economically important South China Sea, wading into a conflict that has pitted China against several Southeast Asian countries with competing claims.
The USS Ronald Reagan and the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Groups sail together in formation in the South China Sea on July 6. China has accused the U.S. of flexing its military muscles by conducting joint exercises with two U.S. aircraft carrier groups in the strategic waterway.toggle captionThe USS Ronald Reagan and the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Groups sail together in formation in the South China Sea on July 6. China has accused the U.S.
China claims sovereignty over the majority of the vast and economically important Asian waterway, and in recent years has built artificial islands or expanded existing islands to bolster its claims. It has also built air strips, docks and military facilities on some South China Sea islands and asserted its broad maritime claims with coast guard ships far from Chinese shores.
Earlier this month, two U.S. aircraft carriers conducted exercises in the South China Sea"in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific", the Navy, as China's military conducted drills near the Paracel Islands — one of the disputed island chains. "Beijing uses intimidation to undermine the sovereign rights of Southeast Asian coastal states in the South China Sea, bully them out of offshore resources, assert unilateral dominion, and replace international law with 'might makes right,'"the statement said.
"We advise the U.S. side to earnestly honor its commitment of not taking sides on the issue of territorial sovereignty, respect regional countries' efforts for a peaceful and stable South China Sea and stop its attempts to disrupt and sabotage regional peace and stability."
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