China land reclamation in South China Sea creates 'new facts' - U.S.

A U.S. Navy crewman aboard a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft points to a computer screen purportedly showing Chinese construction on the reclaimed land of Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015. REUTERS/U.S. Navy/Handout via Reuters

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT (Reuters) - U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter, in Washington's latest challenge of Chinese land reclamation in the South China Sea, said the scale of Beijing's activities, not the United States, was altering the status quo in the region.

Carter, speaking to reporters at the start of a 10-day trip to Asia, said the United States was trying to maintain a shared regional security structure that has advanced "prosperity for everyone" over the past 70 years.