Full coverage: South China Sea Is Indisputable Part of China

A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington has written a letter to the New York Times, in response to the paper's editorial, 'Playing Chicken in the South China Sea', which was published on the 21st May.

Zhu Haiquan refuted claims saying that two Chinese fighter jets performed an “unsafe” maneuver, by flying within 50 feet of an American surveillance plane over the South China Sea. He said that China's information indicates the Chinese military aircraft followed and monitored the American plane from a safe distance, while it carried out reconnaissance activities in Chinese coastal waters. Zhu said that China's operation was in complete compliance with safety and professional standards. He also said that negotiation between states directly concerned is the only way to resolve the disputes. He added that China hopes the US could play a responsible and constructive role in promoting dialogue and negotiation, instead of flexing its muscles.

Meanwhile, some US experts have also dismissed claims made in the editorial. Foreign Policy analyst Ben Reynolds said it represented 'the standard hawkish US narrative about China and the South China Sea based on shoddy arguments and a series of omissions that paint Chinese actions in a threatening light while failing to provide the precedents and context for those actions.'