US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US is concerned about China's increasingly dangerous and unlawful activities in the disputed South China Sea.
A series of violent confrontations at sea between China and ASEAN members Philippines and Vietnam have fueled concerns that China's increasingly assertive actions in the waterways could spiral into a full-scale conflict. About a third of global trade happens through the South China Sea, which is also rich in fishing stocks, gas and oil. China, which claims almost the entire sea, has overlapping claims with ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, as well as Taiwan.
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Speaking at the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting, Blinken, who is filling in for President Joe Biden, said the US will continue to uphold freedom of navigation in the vital sea trade route.
“We are very concerned about China's increasingly dangerous and unlawful activities in the South China Sea which have injured people, harm vessels from ASEAN nations and contradict commitments to peaceful resolutions of disputes.”
While the US has no claims in the South China Sea, it has deployed navy ships and fighter jets to patrol the waters.
Chinese and Philippine vessels have clashed several times this year. Last week, Vietnam had said that Chinese forces assaulted its fishermen in the disputed sea. China has also sent patrol vessels to areas that Indonesia and Malaysia claim as exclusive economic zones.
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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. complained to summit leaders on Thursday that China has been facing harassment and intimidation from China and added that the overall situation in the South China Sea remains tense due to China's actions.
Singaporean leader Lawrence Wong earlier this week warned of "real risks of an accident spiraling into conflict if the sea dispute isn't addressed.
Blinken further said the US believed it is also important to maintain its shared commitment to protect stability across the Taiwan Strait. China claims the self-ruled island of Taiwan as its own territory.