WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is taking additional actions on Thursday to preserve a free South China Sea, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, including visa restrictions on Chinese individuals linked to the maritime dispute. “The United States stands with Southeast Asian claimant states seeking to defend their sovereign rights and interests, consistent with international law. We will continue to act until we see Beijing cease its coercive behavior in the South China Sea,” Pompeo said in a statement.