; and (C) continues to claim historic rights in the South China Sea. (12) On July 12, 2016, Assistant Secretary of State and Department of State Spokesperson John Kirby noted that the United States strongly supports the rule of law. We support efforts to resolve territorial and maritime disputes in the South China Sea peacefully, including through arbitration. … we urge all claimants to avoid provocative statements or actions. This decision can and should serve as a new opportunity to renew efforts to address maritime disputes peacefully. . (13) On July 13, 2016, the Vice Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, Liu Zhenmin, said that declaring an air defense identification zone in the South China Sea would depend on the threat China faces and stated that [i]f our security is threatened, we of course have the right to set it up . (14) On July 18, 2016, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force of the People's Republic of China stated that it had conducted a combat air patrol over the South China Sea and that it would become regular practice in the future. A spokesperson stated that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force will firmly defend national sovereignty, security and maritime interests, safeguard regional peace and stability, and cope with various threats and challenges . (15) On August 2, 2016, the Supreme People’s Court of the People's Republic of China issued a judicial interpretation that people caught illegally fishing in Chinese waters could be jailed for up to one year. (16) In the Agreement concerning the Ryukyu Islands and the Daito Islands with Related Arrangements, signed at Washington and Tokyo June 17, 1971 (23 UST 446), between the United States and Japan (commonly referred to as the Okinawa Reversion Treaty ), the United States agreed to apply the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, with Agreed Minute and Exchanges of Notes (11 UST 1632), signed at Washington January 19, 1961, between the United States and Japan, to the area covered by the Okinawa Reversion Treaty, including