SIMI VALLEY, United States: US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter warned on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) that land reclamation efforts and a military build-up in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) could lead to conflict between nations in the region. Appearing on the final leg of an eight-day trip that included meetings with defense ministers from several nations in Asia-Pacific region, Carter said his concerns about the frantic pace of land reclamation in the South China Sae were broadly shared. "The United States joins virtually everyone else in the region in being deeply concerned about the pace and scope of land reclamation in the South China Sea," he told an audience of senior defense figures.

US defense chief warns of conflict in disputed sea. (2015, November 9). The Manila Times, pp. A1, A2.