US, allies slam Chinese island-building

The United States, Australia and Japan on Monday denounced Beijing's island-building and militarisation of the South China Sea, in contrast to the increasingly tepid response from Southeast Asian nations over the festering issue.China claims nearly all of the sea, through which $5 trillion in annual shipping trade passes and which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits.Its sweeping claims overlap with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei -- all members of the 10-nation Associ