Asean nations should not allow themselves to be ‘bullied’ by Beijing in South China Sea, Pompeo says
- The US lays no claim to the South China Sea but the Trump administration has recently imposed sanctions on Chinese officials responsible for Beijing’s military build-up in the area
- US secretary of state addressed Asean conference and urged nations to reconsider business dealings with these Chinese state-owned companies
“I think keep going, don’t just speak up but act,” Pompeo told top diplomats from the 10-nation bloc, without elaborating. A State Department spokeswoman said he pressed for a peaceful resolution of the disputes.
China does not respect democratic values and principles of sovereignty, quality and territorial integrity enshrined in the Asean charter, Pompeo said. He cited the US blacklisting of about two dozen Chinese companies for their roles in constructing artificial islands in the disputed waters that infringe on other states’ claims.
“Reconsider business dealing with the very state-owned companies that bully Asean coastal states in the South China Sea,” Pompeo said. “Don’t let the Chinese Communist Party walk over us and our people. You should have confidence and the American will be here in friendship to help you.”
It’s not clear how many Asean members have dealings with the Chinese construction companies blacklisted by the US Commerce Department. But Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration said last week it would not follow the US move and will allow one of the blacklisted firms or its subsidiary to partner with a local company for an airport project in Cavite province south of Manila.
China says it has historical sovereignty over most of the waterway but its neighbours and the US say that claim has no basis in international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which China is a signatory.