US Secretary of State John Kerry says Washington is seriously concerned about increased Chinese militarisation in the contested South China Sea. He was responding to reports Beijing has deployed surface to air missiles on a disputed island in the region.
China dismissed the reports as hype, but said it has the right under international law to defend itself. Several nations claim territory in the resource rich South China Sea, which is also an important shipping route. A spokesman for Mr Kerry said satellite images appeared to confirm China had deployed anti-aircraft missiles on Woody or Yongxing Island in the Paracels.