US, Lithuania concerned over China’s “provocative, destabilising activities” in South China Sea

The United States and Lithuania have expressed concern regarding China’s “continued provocative, destabilising and intimidating activities” in the South China Sea. The two nations welcomed Lithuania’s efforts to strengthen a robust economic partnership with Taiwan and support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the international fora.

The joint statement was released following the meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis in Vilinus on September 12.

The joint statement released by Campbell and Landsbergis reads, “Deputy Secretary Campbell and Foreign Minister Landsbergis reiterated their continued cooperation to counter the PRC’s use of economic coercion, with Deputy Secretary Campbell commending Lithuania’s resolve in resisting the unjustified PRC political and economic pressure.”

“Both parties welcomed Lithuania’s efforts to strengthen its robust economic partnership with Taiwan and support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international fora. The two sides also expressed concern regarding the PRC’s continued provocative, destabilizing, and intimidating activities in the South China Sea,” the statement added.

The leaders of two nations underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and expressed opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion.

According to the joint statement, the two nations looked forward to continuing the effective and constructive US-Lithuania Strategic Dialogue on the Indo-Pacific.

In the joint statement, the leaders of two nations expressed “unwavering support” for Ukraine against Russia amid the ongoing conflict and spoke about the role that China, North Korea and Iran play in enabling Moscow’s aggression in Kyiv by its multi-faceted support for Russia’s defence industrial base.

Gabrielius Landsbergis and Kurt Campbell discussed threats posed by China’s “malicious cyber and hybrid activities” to transatlantic security.

The joint statement reads, “The deepening strategic partnership between Russia and the PRC and their attempts to undercut and reshape the rules-based international order remains a profound concern. They condemned Russia’s hostile hybrid attacks against Allies and agreed to work closely to address them.”

Earlier on September 1, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller condemned China’s aggressive actions.

In a post on X, Miller stated, “The United States stands with our Philippine allies and condemns the dangerous and escalatory actions by the PRC against lawful Philippine maritime operations near Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea.”

The US response followed accusations from both China and the Philippines of ships ramming each other. On August 29, 2024, the Philippine Coast Guard reported that a Chinese vessel had “deliberately rammed” one of its ships three times near Sabina Shoal, a feature in the Spratly Islands.

The ongoing tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea have intensified recently, with both nations accusing each other of provocative actions.

The conflict centres around conflicting territorial claims, with China asserting dominance over almost the entire sea based on its “nine-dash line,” while the Philippines relies on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to justify its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

In July 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled in favour of the Philippines, invalidating China’s extensive claims. However, China dismissed the decision and persisted in its activities in the disputed waters.