A United States official has accused China of being the most “flagrant” violator of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), with an “intensifying” bullying pattern evident in the South China Sea and unlawful energy surveillance and activities in the Philippines’ economic zone. “That bullying is alsoevident in the South China Sea,” US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said during a press briefing. “The United States imposed sanctions and visa restrictions on Chinese individuals and entities responsible for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party)’s imperialism there, doing things such as unlawful energy surveillance, activities in the economic zones of our ally the Philippines and other countries.” In light of China’s maritime “lawlessness,” he said it is no surprise that Beijing’s candidate in the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea received more abstentions than any other candidate.

US: China most flagrant UNCLOS violator. (2020, September 7). The Philippine Star, pp. 1, 4.