On the 8th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral award on South China Sea, the United States said it remains "deeply concerned" about China's assertion over other countries' maritime jurisdiction.

It called China anew to stop its dangerous acts in the West Philippine Sea, and abide by the 2016 arbitral ruling that favored the Philippines eight years ago.

"The United States remains deeply concerned about the PRC’s (People’s Republic of China) assertion of 'territorial sovereignty' over vast areas that are clearly within the maritime jurisdiction of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei, and where high seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply under international law," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on July 12.

Blinken stressed that upholding the international law of the sea, as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, "is in the interest of the entire international community and remains vital to the peace, security, and prosperity of all nations."

"We continue to call on the PRC to abide by the 2016 arbitral ruling, to cease its dangerous and destabilizing conduct, and to comport its conduct as well as its territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea to the international law of the sea as reflected in the Convention," the US official said.

Blinken cited the various "dangerous" conduct of China including the recent incident that wounded a Filipino navy officer during a resupply mission in the Ayungin Shoal.

He called these acts "blatant disregard for international law" and the livelihood and safety of Filipinos.

"Over the past year, the PRC’s use of water cannons, dangerous maneuvers, and destructive tactics – including ramming, forcible towing, and boarding that has resulted in damage to Philippine vessels and injury to Philippine service members – has routinely interfered with the lawful exercise of high seas freedoms in areas where the Arbitral Tribunal determined the PRC has no lawful territorial or maritime claims," Blinken said.

"The PRC’s actions reflect a blatant disregard for international law as well as the safety and livelihoods of Filipinos," he added.

In 2016, a unanimous Arbitral Tribunal constituted under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention determined that China's expansive South China Sea maritime claims are inconsistent with international law.

"In its ruling, the Tribunal firmly rejected any PRC territorial or maritime claim to areas determined by the Tribunal to be part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. As provided under the Convention, the 2016 arbitral decision is final and legally binding on the PRC and the Philippines," Blinken reiterated.