Pence to tell China: We will not be intimidated in South China Sea

Pence will deliver an 11 a.m. (1500 GMT) address at the Hudson Institute think tank in Washington likely to increase tensions between the United States and China beyond trade disputes that have dominated President Donald Trump's time in office. In excerpts of his speech seen by Reuters, Pence will call attention to an incident in which a destroyer, the USS Decatur, traveled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands on Sunday. Pence will say a Chinese naval vessel came within 45 yards (meters) of the USS Decatur "as it conducted freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea, forcing our ship to quickly maneuver to avoid collision." "Despite such reckless harassment, the United States Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and our national interests demand.