China tells US to 'shut up' over South China sea dispute

China's state-run media raised its pitch against the US today over tensions in the South China Sea, with the Communist Party's top newspaper telling Washington to "Shut up" and accusing it of "fanning flames" of division in the region.

The foreign ministry of China, over the weekend, condemned a US State Department statement that said the territorial disputes in the South China Sea were being closely monitored by Washington. The state department went to say that China's establishment of a military garrison for the area risked "further escalating tensions in the region".

Analysts say the complex pattern of territorial claims in the South China Sea had become Asia's worst potential military flashpoint.

According to Beijing, its disputes with Vietnam, the Philippines and other southeast Asian claimants needed to be settled one-on-one, and US backing for a multilateral approach to solving the overlapping claims were not acceptable.

"We are entirely entitled to shout at the United States, 'Shut up'. How can meddling by other countries be tolerated in matters that are within the scope of Chinese sovereignty?," according to a commentary in the People's Daily, an offshoot of the ruling Chinese Communist Party's top newspaper.

The main, domestic edition of the newspaper taking a similar tough stand, accused Washington of trying to stoke divisions between China and its Asian neighbours.

"Fanning the flames and provoking division, deliberately creating antagonism with China, is not a new game," said a commentary in the People's Daily's domestic edition. "But, of late, Washington has been itching to use this trick."