Beijing has criticized what it calls U.S. interference in the Asia-Pacific region and insists it has sovereignty over virtually the entire South China Sea based on historical rights.
China recently deployed navy and coast guard ships in a cluster of uninhabited sandbars in the disputed South China Sea amid concerns that the Philippines may build structures on them, two Filipino security officials said Tuesday. The government, however, said the issue was quickly resolved amid the Asian neighbors’ friendlier ties.
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