Blinken Levels Criticism at China Over South China Sea

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken listens during a press conference at the Fiera di Roma, in Rome, on June 28, 2021. Andres Solaro/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday said that bullying is threatening rules-based maritime order in the South China Sea, in a thinly veiled criticism of the Chinese regime.

“In the South China Sea, we have seen dangerous encounters between vessels at sea and provocative actions to advance unlawful maritime claims,” Blinken said. “The United States has made clear its concerns regarding actions that intimidate and bully other states from lawfully accessing their maritime resources.”