Senator Kim and Colleagues Urge Trump to Raise China’s Island Building Campaign in South China Sea During Summit with Xi

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As President Trump begins a summit today with China’s President Xi Jinping, Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and a group of Democratic Senate colleagues are urging Trump to address China’s posturing in the South China Sea and the strategic consequences of its renewed island building campaign for the United States, our partners, and allies in the region. Senator Kim sent a letter to President Trump yesterday alongside Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR). The Senators write: “We are concerned that your administration appears to be ignoring this renewed island building campaign while pursuing diplomacy with China. The fact that China has chosen this moment to resume artificial island-building on your watch, after a decade of dormancy, indicates that your administration’s efforts to bolster frontline states and deter Chinese maritime coercion in the South China Sea have, to date, proven insufficient.” Read the full letter In the letter, the Senators point to how China has previously claimed 90 percent of the South China Sea as its own territory, despite there being no legal basis in international law for China’s claims and strong condemnation by the international community. By building artificial islands in the South China Sea, China has been able to house surveillance technology, long runways for military aircraft, military bases, and other capabilities, threatening regional actors like Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Most recently, China has started to undertake large-scale dredging and land reclamation activities to convert the maritime feature named “Antelope Reef.” The Senators warn: “A Chinese presence on Antelope Island could further reinforce its broad, sweeping territorial claims over the South China Sea in violation of international law and opposition to longstanding U.S. policy, reinforcing Beijing’s vision of a “might makes right” world. Potential air and naval facilities on the island will provide the People’s Liberation Army, China Coast Guard, and Chinese Maritime Militia, with another platform from which to intimidate, harass, and coerce our regional allies and partners. Experts have warned that the island will also likely be used to surveil and constrain U.S. naval activity in the South China Sea.” The letter builds on Senator Kim’s work to ensure U.S. foreign policy with China prioritizes Americans’ needs and national security, including by introducing legislation to safeguard American technology , urging the administration to reaffirm support for Taiwan and engage in bilateral discussions on export controls, and supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific. ###