The U.S. held surveillance flights over the South China Sea Thursday, and the Chinese government said this aerial activity is threatening peace in the region, adding that the U.S. activity would possibly bring accidents either in the air or at sea.

"The recent surveillance activity by a U.S. plane posed potential threats to China's islands and reefs, making it highly possible to lead to misjudgment, which could cause maritime or air accidents," according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei.

Like Us on Facebook

Hong delivered the message after the Wednesday reconnaissance flight by the U.S. military, which was conducted together with a CNN crew.

During the flight, the Chinese navy warned and told the U.S. Navy jet eight times to leave the area above the disputed waters. The U.S. upholds its stance on the issue that the skies and seas they were navigating on were internationally recognized, thus they are free to perform exercises in the area.

"The move is very irresponsible and dangerous, putting regional peace and stability in jeopardy. China expresses its strong dissatisfaction," said the spokesman Chinese Foreign Ministry. "We urge the U.S. side to vigorously abide by international laws and relevant international rules, and abandon any risky and provocative actions."

The spokesman's statement accusing Washington of increasing tensions is only one of several comments seen on Chinese news services Friday, reported CNN.

The recent flight of the U.S. Navy jet is among several actions of the U.S. publicly challenging the Chinese with regard to their territorial claims on the disputed South China Sea, thus creating anew tension between the two superpowers, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The U.S. should not be playing a role in the disputed area in the first place, says a commentary on the Xinhua News Agency site.

Parts of the region, with waters believed to be abundant in oil and gas, have been claimed by countries including China, Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia, and the U.S. maintains that it is only asserting freedom of navigation.

While verbal sparring has been common between the two country's militaries, the Pentagon recently released two videos as well as audio recordings showcasing the U.S.' disposition in confronting Beijing with their construction projects in the South China Sea.

The U.S. is joined by most of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations when it comes to opinion on halting China's projects in the region. The countries are speculating that Beijing is building lands over the waters for China to eventually claim dominance and base their military assets, according to Fox News.

However, as a result of the recent U.S. military activity, Beijing  has become more hostile, asserting more maritime and territorial claims in the South China as well as East China seas.

TagsUS challenges china, US