The US challenges the legality of China's "nine-dash line."
On February 5, the United States called on China to clarify and adjust its territorial claims in the South China Sea, and urged a peaceful solution to one of Asia's increasingly dangerous hotspots.
While tensions are high due to Beijing's imposition of an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) encompassing islands administered by Japan in the East China Sea, there is growing concern about a new confrontation in the separate South China Sea dispute.
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| US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel (Source: AFP/VNA) |
Referring to these disputes, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel challenged Beijing's so-called "nine-dash line," which represents China's territorial claims over much of the South China Sea.
Mr. Russell argued that maritime claims under international law should be based on land characteristics.
He said, “Any Chinese claim to maritime rights that is not based on claimed land features is inconsistent with international law. China can highlight its respect for international law by clarifying or adjusting its claims to conform with international maritime law.”
Mr. Russel also supported the Philippines' right to bring its dispute with China to the United Nations International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea as part of an effort to find a “peaceful, non-coercive” solution.
However, this measure was rejected by China last year.
According to Mr. Russel, China's failure to clarify its claims in the South China Sea has created uncertainty in the region and limited prospects for reaching a consensus solution or fair joint development agreements.
Mr. Russell's comments reflect the increasingly assertive stance of the United States in the South China Sea.
In 2010, then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared that freedom of navigation was a national interest of the United States in the South China Sea, a shipping lane for more than half of the world's trade volume.
According to VNA
