U.S. Rejects Most Chinese Maritime Claims in South China Sea

HONG KONG—The U.S. declared its official opposition to a swath of Chinese claims in the South China Sea, in an unusually direct obstacle to Beijing’s attempts to assert handle in the strategic waters.

Asserting the coverage change on Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo characterized the determination as an effort to uphold worldwide legislation versus what he known as a “might tends to make right” marketing campaign by China to coerce and intimidate its Southeast Asian neighbors into ceding their interests.

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