Trump unveils strategy to prevent China conflict over Taiwan

President Donald Trump aims to prevent conflict with China over Taiwan and the South China Sea by building up US and allies' military power, according to a new US strategy document.

The Trump administration laid out its approach to one of the world's most sensitive diplomatic issues in an official national security strategy document, released on Friday. It comes as Beijing ratchets up pressure on democratically governed Taiwan and Japan, deploying vessels across East Asian waters this week in its largest maritime show of force to date.

"Deterring a conflict over Taiwan, ideally by preserving military overmatch, is a priority," said the document, a periodically updated vision statement from the administration to congress and the first since Trump took office in January.