Lawmakers mull response to Chinese expansion

House lawmakers this week struggled to confront how the U.S. should respond to an increasingly aggressive China, which has made inroads into the South China Sea.

China has faced off against its neighbors over control of the Spratly Islands and has only ramped up its efforts in recent months by dredging and transporting sand to build artificial islands in the area. Most recently, it completed the construction of an airstrip large enough to accommodate a military aircraft.

China’s intentions aren’t completely clear, but its maritime expansion comes “at the expense of regional stability and the principles and goals of global development and international law,” Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, said during a hearing on Thursday.

Read the full article at The Hill.