US Condemns Illegal Activities in South China

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo says China’s pursuit of offshore resources in parts of the South China Sea is completely unlawful

Mr Pompeo said he wanted to make it clear that Beijing’s campaign of bullying to control the disputed waters was wrong.

China said that the US was deliberately distorts facts and international law.

China has been building military bases on artificial islands in the region also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The countries have wrangled over territory in the South China Sea for centuries, but tension has steadily increased in recent years.