Sec. 1266. Sense of Congress on the importance of the rule of law in the South China Sea
215 words·~1 min read·
/bill/115/s/1519/pcs/section-1266·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that— the South China Sea is a vitally important waterway for global commerce and for regional security, with almost 30 percent of the maritime trade of the world transiting the South China Sea annually; the People’s Republic of China is undermining regional security and prosperity and challenging international rules and norms by engaging in coercive activities and attempting to limit lawful foreign operations in the South China Sea; a tribunal determined that China had violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone by
(a)interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration,
(b)constructing artificial islands and
(c)failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the zone, and that Chinese law enforcement vessels had unlawfully created a serious risk of collision when they physically obstructed Philippine vessels ; the arbitral tribunal award of July 2016 stated that there is no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the nine-dash line ; and the United States should play a vital role in securing the South China Sea and ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight for all countries by undertaking freedom of navigation operations on a regular and consistent basis, as well as maintaining persistent presence operations in the region.