US Navy Official Calls for Challenging China's Aggressive Actions in South China Sea

The commander of the US Navy's Seventh Fleet, Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, has called for the challenging and checking of China's "aggressive behavior" in the South China Sea, including the recent use of water cannons by its coast guard against a Philippine vessel. Thomas assured the Philippines of US backing and emphasized the need to push back against such actions. China's militarization of manmade islands in the region and its overlapping territorial claims have been a source of tension with neighboring countries.