The new administration of US President Donald Trump has vowed that the United States would prevent China from taking over territory in international waters in the South China Sea, something Chinese states media has warned would require Washington to "wage war." The comments at a briefing from White House spokesperson Sean Spicer on Monday signaled a sharp departure from years of cautious US handling of China's assertive pursuit of territorial claims in Asia, just days after Trump took office on Friday. Military experts said that while the US Navy had extensive capabilities in Asia to stage blockading operations with ships, submarines and planes, any such move against China's growing naval fleets would risk a dangerous escalation.

Trump vows to stop China taking South China Sea islands. (2017, January 25), Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A6.