A top Chinese official pushed back after the administration of Donald Trump indicated that the U.S. would protect its interests in the South China Sea, warning that the matter is "not for the United States" to get involved in.
Lu Kang, an official with the Chinese foreign ministry, told NBC News in an exclusive interview on Tuesday that "there might be a difference" of opinion when it comes to who exercises sovereignty over the South China Sea, but added that the U.S. should not get involved in the dispute.
Multiple nations in the Asia-Pacific claim features in the South China Sea as their territory, including China, which lays claim to most of the body of water and has built on and deployed weapons to disputed features in the region.
"That's not international territory, that's Chinese territory," Lu told NBC of features in the South China Sea.
However, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled last July that Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea have no historical or legal basis. The U.S. and other countries have urged China to accept the ruling, but Beijing has refused.
U.S. warships have sporadically sailed close to islands claimed by China in the South China Sea in exercise of freedom of navigation through international waters, drawing ire from Beijing.
"I think the U.S. is going to make sure that we protect our interests there," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Monday when asked about islands in the South China Sea. "So it's a question of if those islands are in fact in international waters and are not part of China proper then, yeah, we're going to make sure we defend international territories from being taken over by one country."
Separately, Rex Tillerson, Trump's pick to serve as secretary of state, said during his confirmation hearing earlier in January that the United States would block China from accessing contested features in the South China Sea.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry said that "the United States is not a party to the South China Sea dispute," urging the U.S. to "to respect the facts, speak and act cautiously to avoid harming the peace and stability of the South China Sea."
Trump has indicated that he will take a harder line on China than the Obama administration when it comes to trade. He has also said that the United States' years-long recognition of the "one China" policy is up for negotiation. According to Beijing's interpretation of "one China," Taiwan is considered a part of a single China.
Lu pushed back on Trump's comments about "one China" on Tuesday, telling NBC, "That's not [up] for negotiation."
"This issue touches upon China's core interests. By no means is this something that can be negotiated, or [used] as a bargaining chip," Lu said.