Washington: Two US senators have
submitted a resolution condemning "the repeated use of force
by China" over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
The resolution was jointly introduced yesterday to the
East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee by Jim Webb, a
Democrat from Virginia, and James Inhofe, a Republican from
Oklahoma.
As examples of China`s use of force in the waters, the
resolution says three Chinese vessels, including two security
ships, ran into and disabled the cables of an exploration ship
from Vietnam last Thursday.
In March, the Philippines reported that China`s patrol
boats attempted to ram one of its surveillance ships in the
area.
The resolution calls for "a peaceful, multilateral
resolution to maritime territorial disputes in Southeast Asia"
and supports the continued operations by US forces to "assert
and defend freedom of navigation rights in international
waters and air space in the South China Sea."
Several countries, including China, the Philippines
and Vietnam, have disputed territorial claims over the Spratly
Islands and others in the South China Sea.
PTI
