China has cautioned the U.S. about reports that the U.S. is sending military vessels to the South China Sea to challenge its recent claims on disputed islands there.
Reports say U.S. surveillance aircraft and U.S. Navy ships are being readied for dispatch to an area within 12 nautical miles of reefs in the Spratly Islands, putting the U.S. in direct involvement with China over East Asian territorial claims.
China recently claimed the Spratly Islands where they subsequently built up a military presence. But the U.S. does not recognize the often-disputed islands as belonging to China. There is no concrete decision yet on this matter, The Wall Street Journal reported.
China answered reports that the U.S. is sending its navy to the area by asking for official clarification.
"Do you think we would support that move? We are severely concerned about relevant remarks made by the American side. We believe the American side needs to make clarification on that," said ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, according to Journal.
The Spratly Islands are part of the hotly disputed territories in East Asia. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei, and China all maintain territorial claims.
In the past few months, China has been aggressive in making claims throughout the area, which it is believed they are using for militarization efforts.
Chinese officials has defended these recent actions, claiming that the buildings and other infrastructures they are building are meant to support fishermen and for public welfare. According to reports, reclaimed areas have reached 2,000 acres.
China has also accused other claimants – such as Vietnam and the Philippines – of developing disputed islands.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario is seeking additional help from the U.S. to halt China from making even more reclamations in the face of his nation's legal challenges which were made to the United Nations.
"We are taking the position that we must do something quickly – lest the massive reclamation results in de facto control by China of the South China Sea," del Rosario told the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Fox News reported.
