The White House, warned this Thursday (3), a China about the “consequences” it may face for its military escalation in disputed waters of the western Pacificreported AFP.
“We are aware of Chinese militarization in the South China Sea,” acknowledged the press secretary of the American Executive, Sarah Sanders.
“We have raised our concerns about this directly with the Chinese and there will be short-term and long-term consequences,” Sanders warned, without specifying what action he was referring to.
The South China Sea, located between Vietnam, the Philippines, China and other countries, is subject to many territorial claims, which has not stopped Beijing from increasing its commitment to the area in recent years, seizing islets and atolls.
Last Thursday, Beijing reaffirmed its right to build “defense” facilities in the disputed region, but did not confirm information that asserted that it had placed missiles on artificial islands that it had built.
China considers the area essential to boost its defenses beyond the continental coast and thus secure oil supply routes, while Washington and other Western countries insist that disputes must be resolved legally and respect freedom of expression. navigation.