MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Kerry’s June 5-7 visit to China for the eighth US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) comes as Washington and Beijing are at odds over China's artificial islands in the South China Sea.
"US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Paris, France; Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; and Beijing, China, June 2–8," Kirby said.
In rejecting Chinese claims, the United States frequently conducts exercises with other nations in the region, in which ships and planes come within the 12-mile international limit of China’s military bases on both sides of the international waterway.
Additionally, US air and naval patrols persistently challenge China's claims over territories disputed with Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan.