PhotoHANGZHOU, China — An unusually large number of Chinese vessels have been positioned close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea near the coast of the Philippines for the last week, despite warnings by the United States that China should stay away. White House officials said that Mr. Obama planned to deliver the same message to Mr. Xi at their meeting in Hangzhou. Mr. Obama got off the plane by a staircase carried on board Air Force One and released from the belly of the aircraft. PhotoIn a sweeping ruling against China on the South China Sea in July, an international tribunal in The Hague focused on Scarborough Shoal. The six vessels that look like civilian ships could be navy ships “masquerading” as other ships, Mr. Lorenzana said.

Source: New York Times September 05, 2016 05:26 UTC