Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison

At a media briefing in Canberra on Wednesday, when asked about Australia’s stance on US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo’s statement on China’s sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, Morrison said Australia will continue to adopt a very consistent position.

On Monday, Pompeo affirmed that “the United States champions a free and open Indo-Pacific”, and China’s claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful.