US-China tensions over the South China Sea have escalated, with Beijing firing four missiles into the waters around the same time as the Trump administration took action against Chinese companies that helped set up outposts in the disputed region. China launched four medium-range ballistic missiles into the South China Sea on Wednesday amid broader military exercises by the People's Liberation Army, according to a US defense official who asked not to be identified. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper accused Beijing of failing to abide by international law and militarizing features in the South China Sea. The most prominent were units of state-owned China Communications Construction Co, one of the largest builders of projects in President Xi Jinping's "Belt and Road" initiative. China yesterday called the sanctions a "gross interference" in its internal affairs and said it would "take resolute measures to safeguard the legitimate rights of Chinese companies and individuals," without specifying.

Source: The Standard August 27, 2020 19:07 UTC