The U.S. just ramped up its opposition to Beijing's South China Sea claims

The United States has previously said it considers Beijing's territorial claims over most of the South China Sea unlawful, but Washington has officially remained neutral, refusing to pick a side between China and Southeast Asian countries like Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam that have clashed over the crucial body of water, instead advocating for freedom of the seas.

But in a statement Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. is strengthening its policy on the issue and making clear that China's claims "are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them." The statement appears to be a preview of an expected position paper that officially rejects specific Chinese claims for the first time, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.

A draft of the paper seen by the Journal did not mince words. "China's maritime claims pose the single greatest threat to the freedom of the seas in modern history," it reportedly reads. "We cannot afford to re-enter an era where states like China attempt to assert sovereignty over the seas."

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The Associated Press notes the U.S. will technically remain neutral in territorial disputes, but in effect the Trump administration is siding with the Southeast Asian countries. It's unclear if there will be any tangible effects as a result of the announcement, but that could depend on how the U.S. responds to claims by other countries making similar excessive maritime claims.

Either way, it's another example of heightening U.S.-China tensions. Read more at The Wall Street Journal, as well as Pompeo's full statement.