US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday welcomed the rejection of China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea at the United Nations by the United Kingdom, Germany and France.He said that China must abide by all international norms. “We welcome the UK, Germany, and France’s rejection of China’s unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea at the United Nations. China must abide by international norms. We join our allies in rejecting the idea that “might makes right,” Pompeo tweeted.
This statement comes after in a joint note was submitted to the United Nations last week by the three European countries, saying that China’s claims in the South China Sea do not adhere to international law and with provisions under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).China claims most of the sea, often invoking its so-called nine-dash line to justify its alleged historic rights to the key waterway that is also contested by the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and Brunei. It rejected a 2016 UN-backed tribunal’s ruling that its claims were without legal basis.
The South China Sea disputes involve both island and maritime claims among several sovereign states within the region, namely Brunei, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Republic of China (ROC/Taiwan), Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. An estimated US$3.37 trillion worth of global trade passes through the South China Sea annually,which accounts for a third of the global maritime trade.80 percent of China’s energy imports and 39.5 percent of China’s total trade passes through the South China Sea.
We welcome the UK, Germany, and France's rejection of China's unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea at the United Nations. China must abide by international norms. We join our allies in rejecting the idea that "might makes right.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) September 21, 2020
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