By love-89.com At the ASEAN annual summit held in Vientiane, Laos, on October 11, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed concerns regarding China’s actions in the South China Sea and East China Sea. He expressed the United States’ apprehension over what he described as “increasingly dangerous and illegal activities” by China in these disputed waters, and reaffirmed the commitment to uphold freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
Representing President Biden, Blinken conveyed to ASEAN leaders that fostering a shared vision with Southeast Asian nations entails collectively confronting mutual challenges, notably some of China’s actions.
“We remain concerned about China’s increasingly risky and unlawful actions in the South China Sea and East China Sea,” Blinken stated. “These actions have resulted in injuries among ASEAN nations’ personnel and damage to vessels, contradicting promises for peaceful dispute resolution.” He reiterated, “The United States will continue to support freedom of navigation and flight in the Indo-Pacific region.”
While the United States does not claim sovereignty in the South China Sea, it has positioned warships and aircraft in the area to challenge China’s territorial assertions. In response, China has criticized the U.S. as an external force seeking to instigate conflict in the region.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning countered Blinken’s remarks, arguing that the ongoing military deployments and activities by the U.S. and other external nations have created tensions and antagonism, making them the primary destabilizing factor in the South China Sea.
Recently, conflicts have arisen between China and the Philippines, an ASEAN member, over various islands in the South China Sea, raising concerns about a potential escalation into broader conflict. During the summit, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. claimed his country is “continuously being harassed and intimidated by Chinese actions.”
The U.S. has repeatedly warned that the mutual defense provisions of the U.S.-Philippines treaty apply to the South China Sea, indicating that if the Philippine military, vessels, or aircraft face armed attacks, the U.S. is obligated to respond in defense.
China is currently ASEAN’s largest trading partner and the third-largest source of investment. ASEAN has generally approached maritime disputes with China cautiously, avoiding actions that could jeopardize trade relations while focusing on expanding their free trade area, which encompasses a market of approximately 2 billion people.
Additionally, Blinken emphasized the U.S. commitment to maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait during his remarks.