Conflict in South China Sea will have 'serious' global consequences, says US at UNSC debate on maritime security

New Delhi: The United States on Monday (August 9, 2021) launched a scathing attack on China and said that conflict in the South China Sea will have a 'serious' global consequences. While addressing a high-level UNSC meeting on maritime security, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that in the South China Sea, the world has seen dangerous encounters between vessels at sea and provocative actions to advance 'unlawful' maritime claims.  

"The United States has made clear its concerns regarding actions that intimidate and bully other states from lawfully accessing their maritime resources.  And we and other countries, including South China Sea claimants, have protested such behavior and unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea," Blinken said during the virtual event on 'Enhancing Maritime Security: A Case for International Cooperation'. 

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Blinken added, "Some may assert that resolving the dispute in the South China Sea is not the business of the United States or any other country that is not a claimant to the islands and waters. But it is the business and, even more, the responsibility of every member-state to defend the rules that we've all agreed to follow and peacefully resolve maritime disputes."

"Conflict in the South China Sea or in any ocean would have serious global consequences for security and for commerce.  What's more, when a state faces no consequences for ignoring these rules, it fuels greater impunity and instability everywhere," he added.

The US Secretary of State said that when nations ignore or purport to redraw the borders of other nations, whether by land or by sea, they undermine the sovereign equality of member-states, a guiding principle of the United Nations.

Blinked also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing the global leaders together for the 'critically important' discussion and for India's leadership on these issues, especially in championing a free and open Indo-Pacific.

"I'm grateful for India's leadership in bringing us together today and calling on all nations to recommit to defending and strengthening the maritime rules and principles that we forged together and committed to uphold," he said.

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