'Just who is creating tensions?' Chinese envoy accuses US of double standards over South China Sea disputes

China's ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, warned Washington not to interfere in the South China Sea and accused it of double standards for criticising Beijing's land reclamation in the disputed area but not that of others.

"Just who is creating tensions in the South China Sea?" Cui was cited by Xinhua as saying.

"In the past few years, the US has intervened in such a high-profile way. Does it stabilise the situation or further mess it up? The facts are out there."

Cui's remarks came after US officials on Tuesday said the Pentagon was considering sending military aircraft and warships to assert freedom of navigation around rapidly growing Chinese-made artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea. The foreign ministry responded on Wednesday by saying that Beijing was "extremely concerned" and demanded clarification.

In an interview with Chinese media in the US on Wednesday, Cui said some countries had already begun reclaiming land on reefs that Beijing said belonged to China, but the US had not singled them out.

"Many things in the world cannot rely on a show of force to solve them and the knee-jerk 'cold war' mentality to use force is outdated," Cui was quoted as saying.

Mainland-based military and maritime experts said China's reclamation work would not slow down even if the Pentagon sent surveillance aircraft and warships within 12 nautical miles of the artificial islands China has been building.