US concerned over China's 'interference' in South China Sea

The United States said it's concerned by reports of China's interference with oil and gas activities in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, where Vietnam accuses Beijing of violating its sovereignty.

State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement that China's "repeated provocative actions aimed at the offshore oil and gas development of other claimant states threaten regional energy security and undermine the free and open Indo-Pacific energy market."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang earlier in the week urged Hanoi to respect China's sovereign rights and jurisdiction, "and not to take any move that may complicate matters."