The USA does not apply the same international laws as China - they have not ratified UNCLOS because they are aware that it would create serious issues for themselves to do so, they have set off nuclear bombs on other nation's territories (Bijin Atoll) among others. They've basically used the Pacific as a military training base and dumped toxic waste into many different places - if you're not well informed, perhaps you need to widen your sources. the British too (Chagos Islands).
Last year, there was a situation where the USA asked the Raoyal Australian Navy to approach Chinese territorial waters and they refused, it was widely reported in Australia, they refused because they do follow the International Law.
The USA have not only not complied with International Law, they have sanctioned members of the International Criminal Court who even suggested investigating US troops for their multitude if war crimes, the ICC. This is to protect their servicepeople frm being prosecuted. How many people were prosecuted for My Lai in Vietnam and served time and how long did the one officer prosecuted serve? How many people have been prosecuted for known violations in Iraq and Afghanistan? How many have been investigated - Australia is conducting its own investigations into war crimes in both places and will prosecute and convict when evidence is proven - several Australian servicement have committed suicide rather than face that situation. Once you know the answer to these questions you know the disdain with which the USA hold international criminal law.
They walked away from the Paris Accord, the UNHRC and several other interntional legal bodies, including the nuclear deal with Iran over the last few years.
They are the only nuclear power that has not agreed to Non-proliferation and, tellingly, as the only nuclear power to have ever used a nuclear bomb, they are the only one to have not signed the "no first strike" agreement.
Even the US State department does not use the words "interntional law" in any of their presentations or speeches therefore tacitly admitting they don't like international law, but prefer the term "Rules Based Order". In other words, what America does, is right, and what anyone else does that America doesn't approve of is wrong.
Slave labour, forced labour, refugee incarceration, inherent racism, poverty, health crisis, gun crime, overall crime crisis and several financial crises in history, crisis of democracy, political systemic corruption (called lobbying) all due to Americans following their own laws, which inside their own country, they're welcome to do; most sane people wouldn't go there anyway..
No, America is not a law based country, it is a world class bully which makes its own rules and applies then in its own way.
I'm quite bored with this discussion now, feel free to get a last word in if it makes you feel better but I won't be responding to any more debate on this.
Thanks for your input and remaining civil
