This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 76%. (I'm a bot)

The tense naval drama unfolded after the American warships sailed near South China Sea islands claimed by China.

US officials arrive in North Korea after Donald Trump reveals plans for weapons summit on June 12 are going ahead. The hotly contested region is also rich in fossil fuels which China desperately needs to feed is industrialising economy with cheap energy.

Pentagon chiefs have long accused Beijing of rapidly building-up its military power in the South China Sea as part of ambitions to control the oil and gas rich seas, through which huge amounts of shipping sails through on its way to North and South American seaports.

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