South China Sea: US sells drones to allies as it REFUSES to ‘tiptoe’ around Beijing

DONALD TRUMP has moved ahead with plans to sell 34 surveillance drones to key allies as the US claims it will no longer “tiptoe” around Beijing in the ongoing South China Sea row.

The drones will be sold to four allies in the region, with acting defence secretary Patrick Shanahan condemned China’s behaviour in Asia. The machines should help the US and its allies gather greater intelligence into the disputed waters, potentially thwarting Chinese progress in the area. The Pentagon announced on Friday it would sell the 34 ScanEagle drones, made by Boeing, to Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

The price comes to around $47million (£37.1million).
According to CNN, Mr Shanahan said: “We can’t continue to look the other way as countries use friendly rhetoric to distract from unfriendly acts.”
He added that Washington had a “deeper and broader” networks of allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific than China.
He did not directly name China when making the accusations of “actors” destabilising the region.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1135897/South-China-Sea-latest-news-us-drones-beijing-tensions-washington-asia-intelligence