Pentagon slams Beijing for conducting military drills in disputed South China Sea

The US Department of Defense raised concerns over Beijing conducting military exercises in disputed waters of the South China Sea, saying it is will further destabilise the situation. China has scheduled a five-day military drill around the Paracel Islands, claimed by Vietnam and China, in the South China Sea, starting from July 1.

“Conducting military exercises over disputed territory in the South China Sea is counterproductive to efforts at easing tensions and maintaining stability,” Pentagon said in a statement.

The United States has been strongly objecting to Beijing’s sweeping claims on the South China Sea, calling it unlawful maritime claims. Pentagon said that such exercises also violate China’s commitments under the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea to avoid activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability.

The Defense Department emphasised that the designated area for the military exercises encompass contested waters and territory, and any Beijing’s actions will further destabilize the situation in the South China Sea. It said that the military exercises are the latest in a “long string of PRC actions” to disadvantage its Southeast Asian neighbours in the South China Sea.

“The PRC’s actions stand in contrast to its pledge to not militarize the South China Sea and the United States' vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the statement read.

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'Exercise restraint'

Pentagon urged all parties to exercise restraint and not undertake military activities that might aggravate disputes in the South China Sea. It added that it will continue to monitor the situation with the expectation that China will reduce its militarisation and coercion of its neighbours in the South China Sea.

China has been wary of US presence in the Asia Pacific since its military might could prove a major counterbalancing force to Beijing’s expansionist policy. Recently, the US Navy sailed a guided-missile destroyer through the highly sensitive Taiwan Strait as the Sino-US relations hit nadir amid coronavirus pandemic.

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