The United States urged China to follow international law and stop its "routine harassment" of foreign personnel patrolling the vast South China Sea as Washington's commemorated on Wednesday, July 12, the 7th anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral Award on the contested water.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington is reaffirming its July 13, 2020 policy regarding maritime claims in the South China Sea, where it outright rejected and called as "unlawful" Beijing's claims over most part of the South China Sea.
"We continue to urge Beijing to comport its maritime claims with international law as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention [and] cease its routine harassment of claimant state vessels lawfully operating in their respective exclusive economic zones," Washington said in a statement issued by its State Department.
"[We also continue to urge Beijing to] halt its disruption to states' sovereign rights to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage natural resources; and end its interference with the freedoms of navigation and overflight of states lawfully operating in the region," it added.
The US has been supportive of the Philippines' territorial integrity over the West Philippine Sea, based on the 2016 Arbitral Award and the UNCLOS.
It has been providing financial and technical assistance to the latter, which include launching programs against unregulated and illegal fishing as well as joint military training to bolster interoperability of both sides' troops against various challenges.
"Under the terms of the Convention, this ruling is final and legally binding on the Philippines and the PRC (People's Republic of China)," Washington said.
The US said it will continue working with allies and partners, which include the Philippines, "to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific," and "one that is at peace and grounded in respect for international law."