Weeks after tensions between India and China spiked to an all-time high, the Trump administration has stated its official position on China's maritime claims in the South China Sea. The SCS has been one of the significant global theatres where tensions have been brewing up because of Beijing's illegal claims.

In a press statement, the US said that the country seeks to "preserve peace and stability" in the SCS. "We (also) seek to uphold freedom of the seas in a manner consistent with international law, maintain the unimpeded flow of commerce, and oppose any attempt to use coercion or force to settle disputes. We share these deep and abiding interests with our many allies and partners who have long endorsed a rules-based international order," the Trump admin said.

It added that the People's Republic of China has "no legal grounds to unilaterally impose its will on the region. Beijing has offered no coherent legal basis for its “Nine-Dashed Line” claim in the South China Sea since formally announcing it in 2009."

The US position on the SCS tensions comes in the context of Trump holding China responsible for the spread of Covid-19.