STANDOFF

China Deploys Missiles to South China Sea, U.S. Sends Warning

Beijing secretly fortified its claims to disputed Spratly Islands region.

The White House has warned China of repercussions after reports Beijing secretly deployed anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles to a disputed region of the South China Sea. U.S. intelligence believes there’s a high probability the Chinese military deployed missiles to three artificial islands during recent military drills on the contested sea. The region is subject to several overlapping territorial claims by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, and others. “We’re well aware of China’s militarization of the South China Sea,’ said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday. “There will be near-term and long-term consequences, and we’ll certainly keep you up to date.” The U.S. has also lodged a formal diplomatic protest with Beijing after Chinese personnel injured U.S. military pilots with powerful lasers while they were flying over Djibouti.