美國國務院發言人摩根·奧塔格斯（Morgan Ortagus）於4月6日發布聲明表示：
針對中國在南海西沙群島附近撞沉一艘越南漁船的報導，美國對此嚴重關切。中國長期在南海非法主張海上權利，並損害東南亞鄰國利益，這次的事件只是中國一系列相關行徑中的最新一起。自從全球疫情爆發以來，中國不僅宣布在永暑礁和渚碧礁的軍事基地啟用新的「研究站」，甚至派遣特種軍機降落在永暑礁，並持續在南沙群島周圍部署民兵。海牙仲裁法庭已於2016年7月根據1982年的《海洋法公約》，裁定中國在南海的九段線為非法海事主張，美國政府也持同樣的立場。美國呼籲中國專心支持國際抗疫的努力，停止趁他國因疫情無暇分心時，或因疫情而受到衝擊之際，在南海擴大自己的非法主張。
聲明全文：https://www.state.gov/prcs-reported-sinking-of-a-vietnamese-fishing-vessel-in-the-south-china-sea/
U.S. Department of State Office of the Spokesperson released a statement on April 6:
PRC’s Reported Sinking of a Vietnamese Fishing Vessel in the South China Sea.
We are seriously concerned by reports of the PRC’s sinking of a Vietnamese fishing vessel in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. This incident is the latest in a long string of PRC actions to assert unlawful maritime claims and disadvantage its Southeast Asian neighbors in the South China Sea. Since the outbreak of the global pandemic, Beijing has also announced new “research stations” on military bases it built on Fiery Cross Reef and Subi Reef, and landed special military aircraft on Fiery Cross Reef. The PRC has also continued to deploy maritime militia around the Spratly Islands. China’s Nine-Dashed Line was deemed an unlawful maritime claim by an arbitral tribunal convened under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention in July 2016, a position shared by the U.S. Government. We call on the PRC to remain focused on supporting international efforts to combat the global pandemic, and to stop exploiting the distraction or vulnerability of other states to expand its unlawful claims in the South China Sea.
Read the full text: https://www.state.gov/prcs-reported-sinking-of-a-vietnamese-fishing-vessel-in-the-south-china-sea/
