BEIJING \u2014
China warned Washington Tuesday that it would not back down over its claims in the disputed South China Sea, following vows by the Trump administration to defend U. S. and international interests there.
Comments by White House spokesman Sean Spicer about China\u2019s artificial islands in the Sea, some capable of military use, have upped the ante in the dispute.
\u201cChina has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and their adjacent waters,\u201d foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular press briefing, adding that the country is \u201cfirm in safeguarding our rights and interests.\u201d
\u201cThe United States is not a party to the South China Sea issue.\u201d
Spicer said Monday that the U. S. \u201cis going to make sure we protect our interests\u201d in the Sea.
\u201cIf those islands are, in fact, in international waters and not part of China proper, yeah, we\u2019ll make sure we defend international interests from being taken over by one country,\u201d he said.
Trump\u2019s nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, said last week China\u2019s access to the islands might be blocked\u2014raising the prospect of a military confrontation.
China lays claim to a vast swathe of the South China Sea within a so-called \u201cnine dash line,\u201d including waters claimed by several of its neighbors.
Under President Barack Obama\u2019s administration, Washington insisted it was neutral on the question of sovereignty over the islets, reefs and shoals.
But, while calling for the dispute to be resolved under international law, the U. S. supported freedom of navigation by sending naval patrols through Chinese-claimed waters.
Hua said China \u201cfirmly upholds freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea in accordance with international law\u201d and urged the U. S. to \u201cfully respect the efforts of regional countries to safeguard peace and stability\u201d.
\u00a9 2017 AFP<\/p>\n