China accuses US of ‘navigation bullying’ in South China Sea

By JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — China has responded in kind to a top U.S. Navy official who criticized Beijing’s increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea. China says it’s America’s military deployments in the disputed waters, which it called “navigation bullying,” that can spark confrontations. The Chinese Embassy in Manila said Friday that U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro’s remarks were unfounded, “maliciously smeared China” and inflated the “China threat.” Del Toro underscored in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press while on a visit to Manila how Beijing has encroached in sovereign waters of its Asian neighbors in violation of international law.