US warns China over reported missile deployment in South China Sea

The White House has issued a warning to China over its increased military presence in the hotly contested South China Sea. "We're well aware of China's militarization of the South China Sea," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters, adding that there would be “near-term and long-term consequences” for the country. Ms Sanders was responding to reports that China had recently deployed missiles to three of the Spratly Islands – fortified outposts in the South China Sea where Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei have also claimed sovereignty.