CCTV9英语新闻：中国抨击美国的南中国海的计划（在线收听）

China has expressed great concern over a US proposal to send planes and ships into the South China Sea, which the Pentagon says is aimed at 'asserting freedom of navigation'. China's Foreign Ministry says freedom of navigation does not mean foreign military ships and aircraft can enter a country's territorial waters or airspace at will.

"We are extremely concerned about the comments made by the United States, and we believe it is necessary they make a clarification on this. China has been insisting on the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. But freedom of navigation certainly does not mean that foreign military ships and aircraft can enter another country's territorial waters or airspace at will. We demand the relevant side talks and acts cautiously and does not take any actions that are risky or provocative to maintain regional peace and stability," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

US Defense Secretary, Ash Carter, is reported to be considering options that include sending US military ships and aircraft within 12 nautical miles of reefs which are claimed by China in the South China Sea. The US says it wants to assert "freedom of navigation around the rapidly-growing number of Chinese-made artificial islands". Chinese officials say the country has "indisputable sovereignty" over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters and have called the construction of the artificial islands "reasonable, justified and lawful."