Hong Kong’s largest circulation English daily newspaper reports:
China has sent five warships to the disputed Scarborough Shoal off the west coast of the Philippines with the warning that Beijing is ready for “any escalation” of the conflict.
Meanwhile, the BBC reports today:
China has denied reports its military forces are preparing for war amid tensions over a disputed territory in the South China Sea.
The defence ministry statement comes despite warnings to the Philippines that military conflict is possible over a reef known as the Scarborough Shoal.
Ships from China and the Philippines have been confronting each other for more than a month over the shoal.
Both sides accuse the other of intruding into territorial waters.