WEB DESK
The United States today warned China saying it would prevent Beijing from taking over territory in international waters in the South China Sea. In his first press briefing, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said, Washington will defend American and international interests in the South China Sea and that trade must be a two-way street.
He said, if those islands are, in fact, in international waters and not part of China, US will make sure to protect international interests from being taken over by one country.
China lays claim to a vast extent of the South China Sea within a so-called nine dash line, including waters claimed by several of its neighbors. China has urged the United States to act and speak cautiously on the South China Sea. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said, Beijing has irrefutable sovereignty over the Spratly Islands.
Many nations have urged Beijing to abide by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which sets maritime zones of control based on coastlines. The United States, which has signed onto UNCLOS without ratifying it, often relies on the international agreement to settle territorial disputes. China has refrained, invoking intertemporal laws based on the deep historical record, such as archaeological findings on disputed reefs and islands.