The US Department of State has accused Taiwan and other countries of making “excessive maritime claims” in the South China Sea.
Office of press relations director Elizabeth Trudeau made the statement as she confirmed that the destroyer USS William P. Lawrence sailed within 12 nautical miles (22.2km) of the disputed Fiery Cross Reef (Yongshu Reef, 永暑島) earlier this week.
“The [US] Department of Defense conducted a freedom of navigation [exercises] in the South China Sea specifically in the region of Fiery Cross Reef and the Spratly Islands [Nansha Islands, 南沙群島] to uphold the rights and freedoms of all states under international law and to challenge excessive maritime claims,” she said.
“These excessive maritime claims are inconsistent with international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea covenant,” she added.
Fiery Cross Reef was a high tide feature occupied by China, but also claimed by Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam, she said.
“No claimants were notified prior to the transit, which was also consistent with our normal process in international law,” she said.
“This operation challenged attempts by China, Taiwan and Vietnam to restrict navigational rights around the features they claim,” she added. “Specifically that these three claimants purport to require permission or notification of transits to the territorial sea contrary to international law.”
Trudeau stressed that the Lawrence’s movements were not aimed at singling out China, but that they also challenged maritime claims by Taiwan and Vietnam.
Reporters at the daily State Department briefing questioned what determined an “excessive” maritime claim and asked if China or Taiwan had said their own claims were excessive.
“Seems to me that you have just decided that they’re excessive,” one reporter said.
Trudeau said it was her understanding that the claims were excessive under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
She was asked if sending the destroyer within 12 nautical miles of Fiery Cross could be interpreted as “prodding China.”
“No, we don’t believe it was provocative at all. We conduct freedom of navigations around the world in accordance with international law,” Trudeau said.
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