US Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday denounced China's aggressive assertion of its territorial claims in the South China Sea in a speech she made in Singapore.
Reaffirming security and economic partnership between the United States and Southeast Asia, as well as the importance of sea lanes for trade in the region, Mrs Harris said, "And yet, in the South China Sea, we know that Beijing continues to coerce, to intimidate, and to make claims to the vast majority of the South China Sea."
Mrs Harris, who arrived in Singapore on Sunday as part of her first official trip to Southeast Asia, pointed out that China's "unlawful claims" were rejected by an international tribunal in The Hague in 2016 in a landmark case brought by the Philippines.
"Beijing's actions continue to undermine the rules-based order and threaten the sovereignty of nations. The United States stands with our allies and partners in the face of these threats," she said, pledging that Washington will pursue a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Mrs Harris's remarks drew a swift rebuke from Beijing, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin telling reporters, "In order to maintain its first place, the United States can arbitrarily discredit, suppress, coerce and bully other countries without paying any price."
"This is the order the United States wants. The United States has always tried to defend its selfishness," he added.
Mrs Harris, who was set to visit Vietnam later Tuesday on the second and last leg of her trip, said, "Our engagement in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific is not against any one country, nor is it designed to make anyone choose between countries."
"In this region, we have long put forward a vision of peace and stability, freedom on the seas, unimpeded commerce, advancing human rights, a commitment to the international rules-based order, and the recognition that our common interests are not zero-sum," she said.
"Now, as we face threats to that order, I am here to reaffirm our commitment to that vision — to strengthen it and to make sure it addresses the challenges of today and of tomorrow."
Aside from issues of security, Mrs Harris said the United States seeks to strengthen its economic engagement in the region and offered to host meetings of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or Apec, in 2023.
On global health cooperation amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, Mrs Harris called the United States "an arsenal of safe and effective effectives for the entire world."
Pointing out that the United States has delivered to Southeast Asia almost a quarter of the 110 million vaccines it has shipped worldwide, she said "it is important to note that these are donations free of charge with no strings attached."
Mrs Harris also said the United States "remains deeply alarmed" by last February's military coup in Myanmar that toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, ending a decade of civilian rule.
"We condemn the campaign of violent repression and we are very committed to supporting the people there as they work to return their nation to the path of democracy and we do hope that nations throughout the Indo-Pacific will join us in that effort," she said.
