Trump's choice for top US diplomat talks tough on China

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pointing toward possible confrontation, Donald Trump's selection for secretary of state likened Beijing's island-building in the South China Sea to a takeover of another country's territory and spoke of forcing Beijing to fully apply sanctions on North Korea.

While they focused largely on Russia, reflecting Tillerson's past relationship with its President Vladimir Putin and allegations of Russian hacking into the U.S. election, his testimony on China presented a sharp change in tone from the Obama administration's focus on cooperation.

Trump himself has threatened to impose punitive tariffs to address America's trade imbalance with China and tested ties by questioning the longstanding U.S. policy on the status of Taiwan.

Beijing is unwilling to exercise economic pressure that could destabilize its unpredictable ally, even as it shares U.S. concerns about the isolated nation's rapid development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles to deliver them.