The State Department asks China ‘to cease its unlawful and coercive activities in the South China Sea’The U.S. on Wednesday laid out its most detailed case yet against Beijing’s “unlawful” claims in the South China Sea, rejecting both the geographic and historic bases for its vast, divisive map. “The overall effect of these maritime claims is that the PRC unlawfully claims sovereignty or some form of exclusive jurisdiction over most of the South China Sea,” the paper said, referring to the People’s Republic of China. International rulingIn 2016, an international court sided with the Philippines in its complaints over China’s claims. The State Department paper said that such historical-based claims had “no legal basis” and that China had not offered specifics. The South China Sea is home to valuable oil and gas deposits and shipping lanes, and Beijing’s neighbours have frequently voiced concern that their giant neighbour was seeking to expand its reach.

Source: The Hindu January 14, 2022 03:55 UTC