The White House has warned that China would face “consequences” for its military buildup in contested waters in the western Pacific following reports that the Chinese had installed missiles on three disputed reefs in the South China Sea. “We’re well aware of China’s militarization of the South China Sea,” press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Thursday. "We’ve raised concerns directly with the Chinese about this and there will be near-term and long-term consequences,” Sanders did not say what the consequences would be.

Marlon, R., Aurelio, J. M., Manosing, F., Agoncillo, J. A., Yap, D., & Nawal, A. (2018, February 5). US warns China over missiles deployed on 3 PH reefs. Philippine Daily Inquirer, pp. A1, A2.