Washington. August 24. INTERFAX-US Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday accused China of continuing the policy of" pressure "and" intimidation " of the countries of Southeast Asia (Southeast Asia) and in the South China Sea. She promised that Washington will strive for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
"We know that Beijing continues to coerce, intimidate and claim the vast majority of the South China Sea," Harris said in a public speech in Singapore on Tuesday.
She added that Beijing's actions continue to undermine the rules-based order and threaten the sovereignty of nations."
"Our partnerships in Singapore, in Southeast Asia and throughout the Indo-Pacific region are a top priority for the United States, "Harris said, adding that the region is"critically important for the security and prosperity of our country."
The visit to Singapore and the subsequent visit to Vietnam are designed to confirm Washington's commitment to the region and eliminate concerns about China's claims to disputed parts of the South China Sea, the media reported on the eve of the vice president's trip to Southeast Asia.
They noted that the United States has for many years put countering China at the center of its national security policy, and the administration of President Joe Biden called the rivalry with Beijing "the biggest geopolitical test" of this century.
The media draw attention to the fact that the policy of the current American administration in relation to China and the South-Eastern Sea practically does not differ from the policy of the previous government.
So, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in July: "The rules - based order in the maritime sphere is nowhere more under threat than in the South China Sea. China continues to exert pressure and intimidate the coastal States of Southeast Asia, which poses a threat to freedom of navigation."
Mike Pompeo, Blinken's predecessor in the Donald Trump administration, has repeatedly made similar accusations.
