US Vice-President Kamala Harris on Tuesday accused Beijing of continuing to "coerce" and "intimidate" in the South China Sea and pledged that Washington would pursue a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Her comments came during a trip to Singapore and ahead of a visit to Vietnam, where US officials aim to reaffirm Washington's commitment to the region and address concerns about China's claims to disputed parts of the South China Sea.

"We know that Beijing continues to coerce, to intimidate and to make...