China's official media on Saturday warned of a "large-scale war" if the US blocks it from accessing the artificial islands China has built in the contested South China Sea(SCS), a day after secretary of state nominee said Washington should deny Beijing access to the new islands. In testimony before the Senate, Tillerson who is nominated by President-elect Donald Trump for the post of Secretary of State, likened China's island-building in the South China Sea to "Russia's taking of Crimea". 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," it said. After all, what we heard at Wednesday's confirmation hearing before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee was essentially his personal policy inclinations," it said. He openly conceded he is yet to have a serious, in-depth discussion with Trump on foreign policy imperatives," it said.

Source: dna January 14, 2017 04:01 UTC