Australia warns China on sea ‘militarization’

SYDNEY: Australia on Friday urged China to refrain from the “militarization of islands” to avoid walking into a conflict, a day after the United States slammed Beijing for deploying missiles in the disputed South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).

China on Thursday said it had weapons on one of the islands in the strategically important region, which US Secretary of State John Kerry said was evidence of an “increase of militarization” and a “serious concern.”