The Chinese government has urged world powers, including the United States, to avoid meddling with the dispute over the South China Sea and leave governments in the region to resolve the issue.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the pronouncement after meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin on Saturday.

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Wang said world powers, or nations that he described as "non-regional actors" should avoid fuelling the maritime political tensions related to the South China Sea claims because the Pacific nations have the capacity to resolve the dispute.

Instead of fanning tensions, these world powers should ensure that the Asia Pacific region remains stable, Wang said.

Wang made the statement less than two months after the United States sent a Navy warship sailing into the disputed waters in the South China Sea, where China is claiming territory.

The Chinese Foreign Minister added that the regional powers are in negotiations to resolve the tensions, adding that the situation in the disputed water is relatively stable in general.

The rivalry between China and the United States over the South China Sea intensified when two US B-52 bombers flew into the airspace near China's Nansha islands. The US bombers were seen on 10 December.

Immediately, the China, through the Foreign Ministry, issued a statement condemning what it described as a provocative action by the United States.

"China takes the incident seriously and has lodged solemn representation with the United States," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said in a press release.

The Pentagon, however, said there was no intention for the US bombers to fly into the airspace near China's Nansha islands and blamed bad weather for making the planes to stray off course.

In the press release, Hong said the US government has vowed to investigate the incident, as he stressed that China is again urging the US to reflect upon and correct its mistakes seriously.

TagsUS-China Dispute, maritime dispute, US-China relations