CRI听力:China Urges Restraint from the US on the South China Sea Issue

Meantime, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has issued a statement, urging restraint from the US side on issues concerning the South China Sea.

It follows a Pentagon briefing that the US plans to undertake surveillance operations in the region at least twice a quarter.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying says China is strongly opposed to any infringement of its sovereignty in the area under the name of freedom of navigation.

"I would repeat that China is committed to safeguarding our own sovereignty and marine rights, and will resolutely respond to any provocations. We will closely watch the aerial and marine space in the region. We urges the US side to stop all these wrongful words and actions, and refrain from any actions that threaten China's sovereignty and interests."

Last week, the US naval destroyer USS Lassen sailed within 12 nautical miles of Zhubi Reef in the South China Sea, without notifying the Chinese government.

For more on this, CRI's Brian Kopczynski spoke earlier with Jia Xiudong, senior research fellow the China Institute of International Studies.