Rep. Issa Urges Congress to Address South China Sea Crises

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Ca., has called on his fellow members of Congress to educate themselves on the ongoing crises in the South China Sea and take action to protect international law. Issa highlighted China's disregard for international law, citing the broken promise of a peaceful transition of Hong Kong and warning of a similar situation with Taiwan. He emphasized the need for the United States to reevaluate its relationship with China and not cede more power to them. Issa also addressed the aggressive activities in the region, where Chinese vessels are infringing on the territorial rights of Vietnam, Taiwan, and the Philippines. He called for increased training and defense capabilities to counter these activities and suggested that countries in the region establish their own Coast Guard to enforce international law. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner reaffirmed the U.S.' alliance and commitments with the Philippines and stressed the importance of upholding international law in the South China Sea region. [5c17c4d5][d2a4495a]