The United States and its friends can act to show China that the consequences of its actions in the South China Sea are far more damaging to itself than to other countries, US Senator John McCain said yesterday.

One of the moves they can make, he said, is to accelerate the ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) – a free trade deal that brings together 12 nations, including the US, Japan and four Asean states.

“That would make for long-term economic benefits to every nation in the region engaged in it,” he said at his lecture, America’s Enduring Commitment To Security And Prosperity In Asia, organised by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.