Disputes over territory in the South China Sea are causing countries in the region to increase their demand for an American security presence, the US defense chief said on Sunday. A US warship sailed within the territorial limit of 21 kilometers (12 nautical miles) of one of China's Sea on Tuesday in the most significant US challenge yet to territorial limits Beijing claims around the Spratly archipelago. The move triggered an angry rebuke from Beijing and a warning that a minor incident in the area, which is one of the world's busiest sea-lanes, could spark war if Washington did not stop what it called "provocative acts."

Pentagon: Row raises demand for US presence. (2015, November 2). Philippine Daily Inquirer, pp. A1, A12.