US accuses Beijing of using coronavirus as cover for South China Sea activity
- Following the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat, Washington calls on Beijing to ‘stop exploiting’ the pandemic to pursue its claims in the region
- State department spokesman says US is ‘seriously concerned’ by reports of the incident
In a strongly worded statement, the US State Department gave Washington’s view of last week’s collision of a Chinese coastguard ship and a Vietnamese fishing vessel near the disputed Paracel Islands.
State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus said the US was “seriously concerned” by reports of the incident, at around midnight on Thursday, in which eight Vietnamese crew were plunged overboard as their vessel sank. All were later rescued by the Chinese ship and handed over to the Vietnam authorities.
“This incident is the latest in a long string of PRC actions to assert unlawful maritime claims and disadvantage its Southeast Asian neighbours in the South China Sea,” Ortagus said.
She called on Beijing to “remain focused on supporting international efforts to combat the global pandemic, and to stop exploiting the distraction or vulnerability of other states to expand its unlawful claims in the South China Sea”.
