A senior State Department official indicated on Friday that U.S. surveillance flights near China will continue, despite calls from Chinese officials that these flights be reduced or totally stopped.

According to a report by Reuters news agency, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel, said that China continues to build up its military forces in the region, but remains to be very secretive about it.

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Because of this, the U.S. has a right to conduct legitimate operations that will lead to more information being known about such a buildup, Russel said.

The official pointed to what he termed as aggressive moves by China to press its claims in the South China Sea, by reclaiming reefs and shoals within disputed areas. Press reports earlier confirmed that Chinese engineering crews have covered up former reef areas with sand and rocks dredged from the sea bottom, and have built up a nine-hectare island in one of the Spratly Islands.

Russel said the reclamation work is both intimidating and worrisome to some of the countries claiming parts of the South China Sea.

"We have the right to conduct legitimate missions outside of China's territorial space and there is a persuasive rational for doing so," Russel said in the Reuters interview.

Russel added that China would also benefit if it displayed more transparency in its military modernization efforts.

"Frankly, the lack of transparency in China's military modernization is the source of some concern to its neighbors. And we believe that all of the region, including China, would benefit from increased transparency," Russel continued.

Last month, a number of Beijing officials called on the U.S. to cut back, or even stop,  close surveillance by patrol aircraft and naval vessels. This was afer a Chinese fighter jet made provocative and unsafe maneuvers around a U.S. Navy anti-submarine and maritime reconnaissance plane over the South China Sea.

In April, Russel angered Chinese officials when he called on China not to attempt a Crimea-style action in Southeast Asia, referring to Russia's use of force when it  annexed the Ukrainian territory that is close to the Russian border. 

TagsDaniel Russel