China's actions in disputed South China Sea "excessive"- Acting US Defense Secy

China's militarization of the disputed South China Sea had been "excessive," acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Friday.

Shanahan, speaking with reporters in Singapore on the sidelines of a defence forum, said China's actions in the South China Sea, like installing the surface to air missiles, was "excessive" and "overkill." China and the United States have repeatedly traded barbs in the past over what Washington says is Beijing's militarization of the South China Sea by building military installations on artificial islands and reefs.