US bill moved to sanction China on maritime claims

The Chinese mouthpiece said this is the latest attempt by US conservative lawmakers to interrupt the potential recovery of China-US ties and interfere in peaceful solutions between China and other countries on territorial disputes. 

According to his personal website, US Republican Senator Marco Rubio said he and Democratic Senator Ben Cardin applauded the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations' passage of their bipartisan South China Sea and East China Sea Sanctions Act. 

The legislation would impose sanctions against Chinese individuals and entities that "participate in Beijing's attempts to aggressively assert its expansive maritime and territorial claims over the South and East China Seas," according to the VOA on Wednesday. 

Chinese analysts said on Wednesday that some extreme anti-China politicians of the US are trying to find new tricks to create troubles for China-US relationship and this is their latest attempt as the Biden administration is trying to ease the tensions in bilateral ties with China, Global Times reported. 

According to the website of the US Congress, the bill requires the president to "impose property-blocking and visa-denial sanctions on Chinese persons and entities that contribute to development projects" in parts of the South China Sea or East China Sea areas where China has disputes with regional countries. The bill prohibits US entities from investing in or insuring projects involving sanctioned entities in either sea. 

"The President must also impose prohibitions and restrictions on correspondent and payable-through accounts related to sanctioned entities. The Department of State must periodically report to Congress identifying countries that recognize China's claims to the contested territories. Certain types of foreign aid may not be provided to such countries," the bill said.