The United States rejects China's claims to offshore resources in most of the South China Sea and accuses Beijing of a 'campaign of bullying', a move that may further sour the fraught ties between the world's largest two economies.
The United States has rejected China's claims to offshore resources in most of the South China Sea and accused Beijing of a "campaign of bullying", a move that may further sour the fraught ties between the world's largest two economies.
But it will almost certainly have the more immediate effect of further infuriating the Chinese, who are already retaliating against US sanctions and other penalties in relation to other matters. Previously, US policy had been to insist that maritime disputes between China and its smaller neighbours be resolved peacefully through UN-backed arbitration.
"There are clear cases where [China] is claiming sovereignty over areas that no country can lawfully claim," the US State Department said in a fact sheet that accompanied the statement.Regional analysts said it would be vital to see whether other nations adopt the US stance and what, if anything, Washington might do to reinforce its position and prevent Beijing from creating "facts on the water" to buttress its claims.
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