US calls on China to stop ‘bullying behaviour’ in the South China Sea
- Beijing’s acts interfering in particular with Vietnamese oil and gas exploration and production, state department says
- Vietnam and China have long been locked in a maritime disagreement over the area’s resource-rich waters
The United States on Saturday expressed concern over reports that China is hampering other countries’ oil and gas activities in the South China Sea and accused Beijing of acting like a bully.
The state department said such acts by China – it did not say when they are alleged to have happened – threatened regional peace and security. It said the acts were interfering in particular with Vietnamese oil and gas exploration and production.
“As secretary Pompeo noted earlier this year, ‘by blocking development in the SCS [South China Sea] through coercive means, China prevents Asean members from accessing more than US$2.5 trillion in recoverable energy reserves’,” spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement, referring to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Asean is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Vietnam and China have long been locked in a maritime disagreement over the resource-rich waters of the South China Sea, most of which is claimed by Beijing.