The engagements were part of an effort by the Obama administration to stabilize military relations with Beijing even as Washington challenged China to stop placing military assets in the South China Sea. The Pentagon cited what it called strong evidence that China has deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missile systems and electronic jammers to contested areas in the Spratly Island region of the South China Sea. "As an initial response to China's continued militarization of the South China Sea we have disinvited the PLA Navy from the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RimPac) Exercise," he added. China maintains that the South China Sea is its sovereign territory and that it is within its rights to build up defenses on the islands. "At the same time, it doesn't really do anything to deter China in the South China Sea," Poling said.

Source: Fox News May 23, 2018 16:19 UTC