US accuses China of bullying tactics in South China Sea

The United States on Tuesday accused China of using "bullying tactics" in disputed waters of the South China Sea and vowed to "oppose" the "coercive behaviour" of Bejing that threatened regional peace and security.

"China's recent escalation of efforts to intimidate others out of developing resources in the South China Sea is disturbing," President Donald Trump's national security advisor John Bolton said in a tweet.

"The United States stands firmly with those who oppose coercive behaviour and bullying tactics which threaten regional peace and security," he added.

Beijing has staked a claim on around 90 per cent of the South China Sea including waters close to Philippine shores. It has ignored a 2016 Hague tribunal ruling which overwhelmingly backed the Philippines in a case on the waters.

Countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also claim the resourceful waters citing the importance of freedom of navigation

Bolton's remarks came a month after US State Department made similar allegations against Beijing.