The United States announced over $55 million in new maritime law enforcement funding for countries in the #IndoPacific, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Pacific Islands, and maritime South Asian countries to counter illicit maritime activities, exercise their sovereign rights, and interdict illicit fishing and maritime trafficking operations.

In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the new funding to boost maritime law enforcement capacity.

“This funding will enable these partners to counter illicit maritime activities, exercise their sovereign rights, and interdict illicit fishing and maritime trafficking operations,” Rubio said.

The US has contributed over $1.5 billion in maritime security assistance to the Indo-Pacific since 2017.

Rubio, who co-hosted a maritime ministerial meeting on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, said the fresh financial support from Washington to its partners is crucial in combatting “common maritime threats.” American allies, such as the Philippines and Japan, also co-hosted the event.

Some 40 countries that participated in the forum on September 24 tackled a range of maritime security threats that put shipping lanes and critical undersea infrastructure at risk.

The gathering, Rubio said, highlights the growing diplomatic coalition of countries which share America’s interest “in strengthening maritime security and preserving vital high seas freedoms from which all nations benefit.”

In his remarks, Rubio criticized China’s “expansive and unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea and the destabilizing ways it attempts to enforce them.”

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro in the same meeting urged countries to call out those who disregard international maritime law and engage in aggressive actions that put lives at risk and undermine security of vessels and aircraft.

Chinese Coast Guard, Navy and suspected maritime militia ships have used high-pressure water cannons and dangerous maritime maneuvers to Philippine ships or vessels China has accused of entering its territorial waters illegally.

Close coordination and collective efforts among countries, Rubio stressed, are crucial to reinforce the freedoms of navigation and overflight and free flow of commerce globally.