China, US exchange barbs over South China Sea at UNSC
China and the United States have traded accusations over their respective actions in the South China Sea at a UN Security Council meeting on maritime security.
At the gathering in the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday, acting US representative, Ambassador Dorothy Shea, spoke about the dispute between China and the Philippines over territorial rights to a part of the sea.
Shea said: "The United States stands with the Philippines. Once again, we condemn China's dangerous and unlawful actions in the South China Sea."
China's deputy ambassador to the UN, Geng Shuang, accused the US of sending military vessels to the area under the pretext of the freedom of navigation, but with the real intent "to flex its muscles and stir up the confrontation."
Shuang said the situation in the South China Sea remains generally stable, and that Beijing is confident it can make the body of water "a sea of peace, a sea of friendship and a sea of cooperation."
The US and Philippine militaries staged a series of joint maritime drills in the area from late April through early this month.
The countries have been increasing pressure on China in response to Beijing's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea and around Taiwan.
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