Will back nations facing Chinese aggression: US

Washington, July 15

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday the United States would support countries that believe China had violated their maritime claims in the South China Sea, but he suggested it would do so through diplomatic rather than military means.

“We will assist them, whether that’s in multilateral bodies, whether that’s in ASEAN, whether through legal responses,” he said.

The US on Monday rejected China’s claims to offshore resources in most of the South China Sea, drawing criticism from China which said the US position raised tension in the region, highlighting an increasingly testy relationship.

Pompeo also said that the US would impose visa restrictions on certain employees of Chinese tech companies like Huawei that provide “material support” to regimes engaging in human rights violations and abuses globally, further straining bilateral ties. — Agencies/PTI