Tensions rise between Washington and Beijing over man-made islands

14-May (WashingtonPost) — China said it was “deeply concerned” on Wednesday about a reported U.S. proposal to consider sending naval ships and aircraft toward man-made islands in the South China Sea as tensions escalate between the two nations over the vital waters.

The Obama administration has looked on with mounting frustration in recent months as China has undertaken a vast program of land reclamation in the South China Sea, turning rocks and submerged reefs into islands capable of supporting airstrips and military facilities across some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

The fear, expressed by President Obama last month, is that China is using its “muscle” to bully smaller nations into accepting its sovereignty over disputed waters. But a volley of verbal protests from the United States has fallen on deaf ears, and administration officials have been agonizing over how to rein China in without escalating military tensions to dangerous levels, experts say.

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