China has set the stage for conflict in the South China Sea by telling visiting Admiral John Richardson, U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations, it will never stop building man-made islands on parts of the South China Sea an international arbitration court on July 12 said rightly belongs to the Philippines.

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Admiral Wu Shengli, commander of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), made this clear at a meeting with Adm. Richardson during the latter's five-day visit to China that ended July 20.

Adm. Wu, however, told Adm. Richardson China is committed to peaceful operations in the South China Sea. But he also chided the U.S., saying "flexing military muscles will only have the negative opposite effect," a hint China is prepared for a war against the United States.

The U.S. Navy currently has two nuclear-powered supercarriers with 140 aircraft and their warship escorts patrolling the South China Sea to head-off Chinese adventurism, including an expected Chinese declaration of an air defense identification zone.

The ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in favor of the Philippines also gives the U.S. Navy the legal right to patrol within 12 nautical miles of some of the contested islands seized by China from the Philippines.

According to the arbitration, China should have returned these islets to the Philippines and paid billions of U.S. dollars in compensation. China has done neither and instead has unilaterally declared the award in favor of the Philippines null and void in violation of international law and the rules-based international order.

Adm. Richardson told Adm. Wu the U.S. Navy's "freedom of navigation" patrols ensure common access to the South China Sea will continue. The Navy has no intention of cancelling these patrols.

He reiterated Washington's position that U.S. forces will continue to sail, fly and operate wherever international law allows.

"The U.S. Navy will continue to conduct routine and lawful operations around the world, including in the South China Sea, in order to protect the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of sea and airspace guaranteed to all. This will not change," said Adm. Richardson.

Adm. Richardson, however, said he supports "a continued and deepening navy-to-navy relationship."

"But I will be continuously reassessing my support conditioned on continued safe and professional interactions at sea," said Adm. Richardson. "In this area, we must judge each other by our deeds and actions, not just by our words."

TagsAdmiral John Richardson, Admiral Wu Shengli, U.S. Navy, People's Liberation Army Navy, South China Sea, Permanent Court of Arbitration, Philippines