U.S. Rejects Beijing's Maritime Claims In South China Sea
China claims sovereignty over the vast majority of the economically important body of water, and in recent years, it has built artificial islands to bolster those claims.
Updated at 8:29 p.m. ET
The Trump administration on Monday rejected Beijing's maritime claims in the South China Sea, wading into a conflict that has pitted China against several Southeast Asian countries with competing claims at a time of already-strained relations between Washington and Beijing.
In a statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the move was intended to strengthen U.S. policy "in a vital, contentious" region.
"We are making clear: Beijing's
