In the recently held 10th East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang asked countries to exercise prudence and to avoid causing any tension in the South China Sea, China Daily reported.
According to Li, efforts made by other nations to keep the peace in the region must be respected to maintain stability in the waterway.
The Chinese premier also presented a five-point proposal during the summit meeting, encouraging the presence of outside powers in settling the dispute to "play a positive and constructive role and refrain from taking action that may cause tension in the region."
Li's statements came after the U.S. decision to send military ships and warplanes in the South China Sea to assert the country's "freedom of navigation."
"Freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea has never been a problem," said Li. "Instability in the South China Sea will first hamper countries in the region, including China, and will do no good to other countries."
In the meeting, which was also attended by U.S. President Obama, Li also encouraged countries to respect international law, the U.N. Charter, and the postwar order to protect peace and stability in the world, particularly in the South China Sea.
According to experts, Premier Li's remarks were "mild" but with "a firm stance."
"As Washington has decided to regularly send military ships and planes near Chinese islands, confrontation between China and the U.S. has reached a record high in the South China Sea," said Shi Yinhong, director of the Center of U.S. Studies at Renmin University.