Washington: The US has called for China to clarify or adjust its claim of the South China Sea in accordance with the international law of the sea. The US assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs, Daniel Russel, said China’s vague territorial claims had “created uncertainty, insecurity and instability among its neighboursâ€.
There are growing concerns of China’s assertion of control over the sea which Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei all have territorial claims over. The waterway provides 10% of the global fisheries catch and carries $5 trillion in ship-borne trade.
China has claimed the South China Sea in the ‘nine-dotted line’, outlining its territorial right. Russell challenged the area China claims, adding, “Any Chinese claim to maritime rights not based on claimed land features would be inconsistent with international law”, while addressing a congressional committee.