Raising stakes, US brands China claims in South China Sea illegal

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that the United States would treat Beijing’s pursuit of resources in the dispute-rife South China Sea as illegal, ramping up support for Southeast Asian nations. It was the latest forceful statement by President Donald Trump’s administration to challenge China, which he has increasingly cast as an enemy ahead of November elections. “We are making clear: Beijing’s claims to offshore resources across most…