The United States has barred some officials in the Chinese ruling party, military, and state-owned companies over Beijing’s recent actions regarding the South China Sea, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced along with other sanctions on Thursday.
The sanctions include visa restrictions on some Chinese individuals, specifically executives from state-owned companies, as well as officials in the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese Navy.
Pompeo said these sanctions target the ones ''responsible for, or complicit in, either the large-scale reclamation, construction, or militarization of disputed outposts in the South China Sea, or (China’s) use of coercion against Southeast Asian claimants to inhibit their access to offshore resources in the South China Sea.''
The secretary noted that these restrictions may also apply to immediate family members.
''The United States stands with Southeast Asian claimant states seeking to defend their sovereign rights and interests, consistent with international law,'' Pompeo said.
''We will continue to act until we see Beijing cease its coercive behavior in the South China Sea.''
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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