The United States has said it will increase the number and frequency of both military and humanitarian exercises in the South China Sea in an effort to send a message to China that its construction of artificial islands and military installations in the region will not be tolerated.
China has blamed the United States for rising tensions in the South China Sea because the United States has increased naval and air patrols while China continues to make artificial islands, some of which house military equipment.
The Chinese government has reiterated in some of its strongest language yet that it will not back down from its controversial claims in the contested South China Sea.
The United States accused China of placing artillery on islands it is building in the South China Sea, as Japan and the European Union beseeched all parties involved in the complex showdown to let cooler heads prevail.
