State Department calls new China fishing curbs in South China Sea ‘dangerous and provocative’
BY: Bill Gertz January 9, 2014 6:30 pm
China’s imposition of new restrictions on foreign fishing in the South China Sea is a “dangerous and provocative” measure, the State Department said on Thursday.
“The passing of these restrictions on other countries’ fishing activities in disputed portions of the South China Sea is a provocative and potentially dangerous act,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.
“These regulations appear to apply to the maritime space within China’s so-called nine-dash line,” she said. “China has not offered any explanation or basis under international law for these extensive maritime claims.”
The new fishing curbs, covering disputed islands in the South China Sea, were first disclosed by the Washington Free Beacon on Tuesday.
The Obama administration declined to comment for the Free Beacon story. The harsh response by Psaki is an indication that the administration is seeking to prevent China from exercising maritime hegemony of the international waters.
Read more: http://freebeacon.com/dangerous-waters/
