Beijing: The Chinese military said it “expelled” US warships entering Chinese waters illegally near the Paracel Islands on Monday, the commemoration of the Putri International Court held by Beijing did not have a claim for the South China Sea.
USS Benfold enters the waters without China’s approval, seriously violates its sovereignty and damages the stability of the South China Sea, the South Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army.
“We urge the United States to immediately stop provocative actions like that,” he said in a statement.
On July 12, 2016, the permanent arbitration court in Den Haag decided that China did not have a historic title over the South China Sea, a decision that Beijing said.
Benfold confirms the rights of navigation and freedom around the paracel islands that are consistent with international law, said the US Navy in a statement.
The islands are claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam, who need permission or notice in advance before the military ship passes.
“Under international law as reflected in the law of the marine convention, vessels of all countries, including their warships, enjoy innocent rights through territorial sea,” the US Navy added.
Innocent’s position “by being involved in innocent passages without giving prior notice to or asking permission from one of the prosecutors, the United States challenges this violation of this law which is enforced by China, Taiwan and Vietnam.” Hundreds of other islands, reefs and resources in resource-rich waterways are contested by Brunei, China, Malaysia and the Philippines.
China claims the right to resources in its line called nine-dash, or most of the region.
“By conducting this operation, the United States shows that these waters are beyond what China can be claimed as a territorial sea, and that China claimed to rectify the baseline around the paracel islands is not consistent with international law,” said the US Navy.
On the 2016 verdict, The Hague Court also said China had disrupted the rights of traditional Philippines fish in Scarborough Shoal and violated the country’s sovereignty rights by exploring oil and gas near Reed Bank.
Freedom in the sea is an “eternal” interest of all nations, US Secretary, Antony Blinken, said on Sunday.
“There are no rule-based maritime places under a greater threat than in the South China Sea,” Blinken said in a statement.
“The People’s Republic of China continues to force and intimidate the coastal countries of Southeast Asia, threaten freedom of navigation on this critical global road.” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Monday at regular briefing that the United States detacted peace and stability in the region.
In the Philippines, more than 100 activists gathered outside the Chinese Consulate Housing Building to pressure Beijing to respect the arbitration decision and allow the Philippines to free fishing in the South China Sea.
The crowd lined up with the Philippines flag and reading banners, “China came out of the West Philippines sea” and “China came out of our waters”.
Manila refers to the South China Sea section which is claimed to be the West Philippine Sea.
“Because our court court victory, there was no change.
There was still a presence of Chinese coast guards, Chinese militias …
in the West Philippine Sea,” said Fernando Hicap, head of the small fisherman group federation.