Tension is arising in the South China Sea as China wants assurances from the United States that the Western country will not be sending aircraft abd warships to determine its clams to the Spratly islands, a string of remote, strategic islands.

The warning from the Chinese government came Wednesday, saying that it will protect its dominion in the South China Sea after a Chinese frigate pursued a U.S. Navy warship.

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The USS Fort Worth sailed through the South China Sea Monday, near the islands that China is building reportedly aiming to extend its territorial claims, according to USA Today.

"The Chinese side will take resolute measures to safeguard national sovereignty and safety," said Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry. "We will keep an eye on the situation in relevant waters and airspace and respond to any violation of China's sovereignty and threat to China's national security."

The Pentagon will remain patroling the area around the Spratly islands from air and sea, said Army Col. Steve Warren Wednesday.

In recent months, tensions escalated over the said islands as China built facilities on five reclaimed-land sites in the islands, which included a 10,000-foot (3,050-meter) airstrip, reported CNN.

Last year, China also reportedly anchored an oil rig in waters claimed by Vietnam, as well as launched an extensive island reclamation program.

Since then, China has created more than 800 hectares of artificial islands. They are currently being turned into military outposts with airfields and ports, according to Web site news.com.au.

China is pushing on claims that the construction program is not aggressive and that it is only taking place on Chinese territory. According to the Chinese government, the buildings and infrastructure are for public service use in order to support fishermen and proclaim Chinese sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Warren said international law does not identify man-made islands as mainland extensions. The U.S. still claim the islands to be international waters.Philippine and Japanese navies in the meantime have conducted exercises in the area attempting to counter Chinese claims.

Warren also said that the Navy and Air Force patrols are held to ensure freedom of navigation. However, he declined sharing details on how the military is going to treat the islands.

The Pentagon "is a planning organization and it is our job to provide our leadership with options. What I can say is that we have, and will continue to operate in a manner consistent with the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the air and sea, including preserving freedom of navigation around the globe and in the South China Sea," said Warren.

"We are deeply concerned about the U.S. remarks. The U.S. side must make clarification on this," according to the official Chinese translation of Spokeswoman Hua's news conference Wednesday. "The Chinese side advocates the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, yet the freedom definitely does not mean that foreign military vessels and aircrafts can enter one country's territorial waters and airspace at will."

China is going to continue safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and the country is urging concerned countries to be discreet in their words and actions, Hua added.

According to the White House, the Law of the Sea Convention doesn't recognize the waters in question as Chinese territory.

Tagschina faces off U.S., US, U.S., china US faceoff, China-US War, united states spratly islands, china spratly islands