China's Ministry of National Defence says it has continued to monitor the US Navy destroyer USS Milius in a second straight day as US asserts navigational rights in international waters.
Beijing claims USS Milius “illegally entered" its "territorial waters without approval" but the US said it was conducting routine operations in international waters off the disputed Paracel Islands.
Amid lingering dispute on overlapping claims in the South China Sea, Chinese leader welcomes his Philippine counterpart, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who is visiting Beijing for the first time as president.
South China Sea has become one of the major bone of contentions between the two countries in their relationship as China lays full claim on its waters.
The opposition KMT, which has maintained closer ties with China when in power, pledged to "work hard to maintain peace in the region", as its chairman declared victory at a press conference.
The US vice president is scheduled to make a stopover on Tuesday on an island near the disputed South China Sea.
US media accuses China of establishing a naval facility in Cambodia, a claim Beijing denied, calling it an act of disinformation.
Beijing says it will "never allow any country to infringe upon China's sovereignty and security under the pretext of freedom of navigation".
Japan, Philippines to enhance security ties as China's clout grows in the South China Sea.
Taiwan welcomed the decision saying the training and equipment would help defend itself against Beijing's "continuing military expansion and provocation".
China and the Solomon Islands have initialled a draft security agreement, sparking concerns among regional players such as Australia.
The conflict shows that the regional order, particularly around the South China Sea, may not be sustainable if agreements are viewed as “mere words” on a piece of paper.
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