CHINA is upping the stakes in the South China Sea region with the deployment of a massive amphibious assault vehicle capable of carrying almost 1,000 troops - with analysts suggesting it significantly enhanced Beijing's military power in the disputed waterway.The South China Sea, which China claims sovereignty of 90 percent of, is regarded as a potential major flashpoint with the West, with Beijing having fortified numerous islands there. The report, published on the website of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, was written by Matthew Funaiole, a Senior Fellow with the think tank's China Power Project, and Joseph Bermudez...