China has hit back through its state media after the next US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson threatened Beijing to block it from the South China Sea.
Continuing the dismissive tone taken by China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kong, a Global Times editorial has termed Tillerson's remarks during his confirmation hearing an indignant talk with little effect and questioned whether it was a bluff for the US Senate. Global Times is the official mouthpiece of China's ruling Communist Party and represents the country's official line on issues.
Rex Tillerson, former ExxonMobil CEO and US President-elect Donald Trump's pick for his 'Secretary of State', had told the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing that China would not be allowed to build more islands in the South China Sea and at the same time, would not be allowed access to those islands it has already built.
TILLERSON'S VIEWS SELF-PROCLAIMED
Terming Tillerson's remarks 'self-proclaimed', the editorial wrote that 'China has enough determination and strength to make sure that his rabble-rousing will not succeed and unless Washington plans to wage a large-scale war in the South China Sea, any other approaches to prevent Chinese access to the islands will be foolish'.
While saying that the US has no absolute power to dominate the South China Sea, the editorial says that the remarks made by Tillerson are the most radical of all the US statements towards China so far.
The editorial expects that Tillerson's words on South China Sea are aimed at merely securing his confirmation from the US Senate and will not translate into policy priorities of the Donald Trump administration or else 'the two sides had better prepare for a military clash'.
EDITORIAL MOCKS TILLERSON'S CREDENTIALS
Mocking Tillerson for his credentials, the editorial says probably he just had oil prices and currency rates on his mind as former ExxonMobil CEO when he made those remarks. Bragging of China as being a big nuclear power, the Global Times piece opines that 'Tillerson had better bone up on nuclear power strategies if he wants to force a big nuclear power to withdraw from its own territories'.
In its initial response yesterday, China had dismissed Tillerson's claims. Lu Kong had said that what Tillerson said was 'hypothetical' while asserting the Chinese supremacy over the South China Sea.
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