US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (Photo: NBC News)

Pompeo said the US supports a free and open South China Sea, respects the sovereign rights of all nations, and seeks to preserve peace and uphold freedom of the seas in a manner consistent with international law. Pompeo added that the US Department of State will begin imposing visa restrictions on Chinese individuals responsible for, or complicit in, the large-scale reclamation, construction, or militarization of disputed outposts in the South China Sea or the use of force against Southeast Asian claimants to inhibit their access to offshore resources. Such individuals will no longer be allowed to enter the US, and their immediate family members may be subject to the same visa restrictions.

In addition, the Department of Commerce has added 24 Chinese state-owned enterprises, including several subsidiaries of the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) to its Entity List, a list of entities restricted from using US-originated technology.