China accused the US of trying to sow divisions between China and Southeast Asian countries, AP reported.

The US is not a country directly involved in disputes, however, they continue to intervene in this matter, the Chinese Embassy in Washington said in a statement.

Under the pretext of maintaining stability, the US is causing tension and fomenting confrontation in the region.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has earlier said that at present the US considers almost all Chinese maritime claims outside its internationally recognized waters illegal. 

Earlier, the US insisted that naval disputes between China and its neighbors be resolved peacefully with US support.

Pompeo's statement was an important change in America’s policy on the South China Sea, said Zhu Feng, Executive Director of China Center for Collaborative Studies of the South China Sea at Nanjing University. According to him, other countries opposing the claims of China may take a more aggressive stance because of openly declared support for America.

The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Zhao Lijian, reiterated the position of China that for over 1,000 years, China has effective jurisdiction over the islands, reefs, and waters of the South China Sea. According to him, China does not seek to create a maritime empire.