The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, which visited Malaysia. last December. Activity by Western and Japanese navies in the South China Sea has increased noticeably in the last year. (Photo by EPA/Jiji)
AMY CHEW
KUALA LUMPUR -- The United States, EU countries and Japan have increased the deployment of warships in the South China Sea in the last year to send "a message" to Beijing to respect territorial sovereignty and international law amid an escalation of confrontations in the disputed waters, according to diplomats.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea, a vast area spanning 3.6 million square kilometers rich in hydrocarbons. Meanwhile, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei are claimants to various parts of the sea.