China on Friday criticised some US Senators for bringing a Bill seeking sanctions on Chinese firms engaged in “illegitimate activities” in the disputed South China Sea, saying the move showed their “arrogance and ignorance”.
“The Bill proposed by some US Senators shows their arrogance and ignorance,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said, responding on the Bill calling for sanctions against firms engaged in dredging to expand the militarised islands China had built in the South China Sea (SCS).
“China’s position on the SCS is consistent and clear. Relevant Bill made by the US senators has violated the relevant international laws and basic norms of governing international relations. The Chinese side is firmly opposed to it,” she said. Rubio, a Republican Senator who unsuccessfully contested against President Donald Trump, said the security of US allies in the western Pacific “cannot be endangered by Beijing’s ongoing flagrant violations of international norms in its pursuit of dominance in the SCS and East China Sea”.