Amid the global focus on fighting COVID-19, China has ramped up self-described research stations and landed special military aircraft in the South China Sea.
The United States on Monday warned China not to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to exert itself in the South China Sea after Vietnam said Beijing sank a trawler.
"We call on the PRC to remain focused on supporting international efforts to combat the global pandemic, and to stop exploiting the distraction or vulnerability of other states to expand its unlawful claims in the South China Sea," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. Vietnam -- which, like China and Taiwan, claims sovereignty over the Paracel Islands -- called in a foreign ministry statement for Beijing to compensate the fishermen,"strictly discipline" the officers responsible and prevent similar occurrences in the future."This incident is the latest in a long string of PRC actions to assert unlawful maritime claims and disadvantage its Southeast Asian neighbors in the South China Sea," Ortagus said.
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