The US defense department has cited China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam as among the 19 countries with “excessive maritime claims” that “if left unchallenged … could permanently infringe upon the freedom of the seas enjoyed by all nations.” The four countries were among the 19 “claimants” named by the US Department of Defense in its Annual Freedom of Navigation Report 2020 for their alleged attempts to restrict unlawfully the rights and freedoms of navigation, overflight and other lawful uses of the sea. “Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims—or incoherent legal theories of maritime entitlement—that are inconsistent with international law pose a threat to the legal foundation of the rules-based international order. Consequently, the United States is committed to confronting this threat by challenging excessive maritime claims,” the report said.

Santos, T. G. (2021, March 19). US challenges 19 nations' excessive maritime claims. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A9.