China has responded after the United States accused the country on Tuesday (July 26) of increased “provocations” against rival claimants in the South China Sea. The US suggested that the “aggressive and irresponsible behaviour” meant a major incident or accident could happen soon.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said that remarks by the US are “a complete distortion of the truth”. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said during a news briefing in Beijing: “I would like to emphasise that the South China Sea is not a gladiatorial arena of extraterritorial powers.”
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“China and the ASEAN countries will further strengthen cooperation and jointly resist all kinds of malicious acts of disruption and destruction in the South China Sea,” Lijian added.
These claims and counterclaims began when Jung Pak, a deputy assistant secretary for East Asia at the State Department, said that there was “a clear and upward trend of PRC provocations against South China Sea claimants and other states lawfully operating in the region.”
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Referring to China, she told the Center for Strategic and International Studies how marine research and energy exploration activities within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines are challenged.
She said Chinese aircraft had increasingly engaged in unsafe intercepts of Australian aircraft in international airspace above the South China Sea and three separate incidents in the last few months.
The comments, which apparently became controversial, came ahead of an anticipated call between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping this week.
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