Blinken Condemns China’s ‘Dangerous and Unlawful’ Actions in South China Sea
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday condemned China’s “increasingly dangerous and unlawful actions” in the South China Sea, as tensions escalate in the region over territorial disputes. Speaking at the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Vientiane, Laos, Blinken voiced Washington’s concerns about Beijing’s aggressive expansionism and pledged U.S. support for freedom of navigation in the contested waters.
The South China Sea, a critical sea route through which a third of global trade flows, has become a flashpoint for conflict, with China claiming nearly the entire area. These claims overlap with those of ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei, as well as Taiwan. The waters are also rich in natural resources, including fishing stocks, gas, and oil.
In recent months, China has escalated its military presence, deploying coastguard and naval vessels to forcibly expel the Philippines from key reefs and islands. The situation has worsened as China has extended its patrols into areas claimed by Malaysia and Indonesia as exclusive economic zones, and heightened tensions with Japan over a disputed island group in the East China Sea.
“China’s actions have injured people, harmed vessels from ASEAN nations, and contradict their commitments to peaceful resolution of disputes,” Blinken told ASEAN leaders. He reaffirmed U.S. commitments to “uphold freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific” and stressed the importance of protecting stability in the Taiwan Strait, another source of friction with Beijing.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also addressed the summit, accusing China of “harassment and intimidation” in the South China Sea and calling for faster progress in ASEAN-China negotiations on a code of conduct to regulate behavior in the contested waters. Malaysia, which will assume the ASEAN chairmanship next year, is expected to lead efforts to accelerate talks on the code, which are slated for completion by 2026. However, disagreements over whether the pact should be binding have delayed progress.
The escalating confrontations in the South China Sea are threatening regional stability, with many ASEAN members pushing for a diplomatic solution, while the U.S. and its allies continue to challenge China’s expansive claims.
