US and China trade barbs over South China Sea

The South China Sea has become one of many flashpoints in the testy relationship between China and the United States, with Washington rejecting what it calls unlawful territorial claims by Beijing in the resource-rich waters.

China’s embassy in Manila accused the United States on Tuesday of driving a wedge between the Philippines and Beijing, deploring Washington’s “unfounded accusations” that it said sought to stir up trouble in the South China Sea.