U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called out bullying in the South China Sea on Monday and warned the U.N. Security Council that a conflict "would have serious global consequences for security and for commerce," sparking a strong rebuke from China.
The South China Sea has become one of many flashpoints in the testy relationship between China and the United States, with Washington rejecting what it calls unlawful territorial claims by Beijing in the resource-rich waters.
"Conflict in the South China Sea, or in any ocean, would have serious global consequences for security, and for commerce," Blinken told a Security Council meeting on maritime security. "When a state faces no consequences for ignoring these rules, it fuels greater impunity and instability everywhere."