US Secretary of State: China's Expansive Territorial Claims Undermine Indo-Pacific Peace and Stability

[Financial News] Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, pointed out on the 9th anniversary of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling rejecting China's territorial claims over most of the South China Sea on the 12th (local time) that "China's expansive territorial claims infringe on the sovereignty of Southeast Asian countries and undermine peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific."
Secretary Rubio raised his voice in a press statement released that day, saying, "Since the 2016 PCA ruling, China has continued its illegal and expansive maritime territorial claims, taking increasingly aggressive actions against neighboring countries and ignoring the ruling."
He continued, "The United States supports a free and open Indo-Pacific," urging China to "comply with the 2016 PCA ruling and cease dangerous and destabilizing actions."
Previously, the PCA ruled on July 12, 2016, in a case initiated by the Philippines regarding South China Sea territorial claims, that China's claim to most of the South China Sea by drawing nine-dash lines in a 'U' shape had no basis in international law.
However, even after that, China has not recognized the PCA ruling and has continued conflicts with the Philippines by dispatching patrol vessels to the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) claimed by the Philippines.
whywani@fnnews.com Hong Chae-wan Reporter