US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's statement on July 13 is not a radical departure from the United States' existing South China Sea policy but rather an evolutionary step in its hardening stance towards the disputes.
Nevertheless, the statement will lead to a further deterioration in US-China relations and has important implications for the South-east Asian claimants.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you
