China trying to gain space through force, US admiral says

China’s actions in the South China Sea were an example of it trying to gain territorial space through force, and were destabilising the region, a senior U.S. admiral said on Tuesday.
The Philippines and China have had a series of maritime run-ins, including water cannon use, and heated verbal exchanges that have triggered concern about an escalation at sea.
Admiral John Aquilino, Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said in an address to the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney that China’s actions against the Philippines, particularly in Second Thomas Shoal, were “dangerous, illegal and they are destabilising the region”.
Aquilino said he was “very concerned about what is happening at Second Thomas Shoal”, where the physical action of the Chinese coast guard and a fishing vessel had resulted in six sailors injured.