Dragon boats capsize in South China, 17 killed

The new administration of U.S. President Donald Trump vows that America will prevent China from taking over territory in international waters in the South China Sea.

U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis says he does not see any need for dramatic military moves in the South China Sea to contend with China's assertive behaviour after a meeting with his Japanese counterpart in Tokyo.

Japan plans to dispatch its largest warship on a three-month tour through the South China Sea beginning in May, three sources said, in its biggest show of naval force in the region since World War Two.

The United States is encouraged by China's efforts to restrain North Korea but Washington will not accept Beijing's militarization of islands in the South China Sea, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he was prepared to mediate between claimants to the South China Sea, where five countries contest China's sweeping claims to the busy waterway.

Dragon boats capsize in South China, 17 killed.

An animated movie made by DreamWorks and a Chinese studio has been blocked by Malaysian authorities over a scene showing a map of the South China Sea. The cartoon, titled "Abominable," tells a story of girl and a Yeti.

The US said the sanctions were a response to China's increased naval activity in the region. The move comes just days before Joe Biden is set to take over as US president.

Manila has expressed concern after more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels, allegedly crewed by maritime militia, were spotted at a disputed reef in the South China Sea. Both countries claim the shallow coral region.

US Vice President Kamala Harris accuses Beijing of coercion and intimidation in the disputed South China Sea during a speech in Singapore. Harris' comments come as she seeks to rally Asian allies against China and shore up US credibility in the wake of the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Two Philippine boats carrying food supplies for soldiers to the disputed Second Thomas shoal were blocked by the Chinese coast guard, who allegedly fired water cannons on them. No injuries were reported in the incident.

July 12 marks the fifth anniversary of a landmark ruling by the independent Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague that rejected China's claims to contested islands in the South China Sea. Despite the 2016 ruling, Beijing has deployed forces to prevent fishers from the Philippines from accessing the waters.