Australia spotted three Chinese warships sailing near its coast as Beijing accused Canberra of sending a spy plane into its "territorial airspace" over the contested South China Sea. Newsweek has contacted the Australian and Chinese militaries for comment by email.

The South China Sea is the linchpin of modern Indo-Pacific relations. As the United States and China remain locked in a Great Power Competition, regional autonomy in the South China Sea has become a s

"All countries are expected to respect freedom of navigation and overflight in and above international sea lines of communication, such as the South China Sea, and to avoid interference in legitimate activities conducted in international waters and airspace,