U.S., China trade barbs over S. China Sea, Hong Kong

The United States traded barbs with China over Beijing's maritime claims in the South China Sea while also raising concerns over tighter controls in Hong Kong as foreign ministers took part in a regional meeting on Wednesday.During a virtual ministerial meeting of the 18-member East Asia Summit, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it regards Beijing's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, which are contested by several Southeast Asian nations, as unlawful, according to the State Department.Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, meanwhile, criticized the United States for directl…READ FULL ARTICLE