China Rejects United States Claim of South China Sea Militarization as 'Ridiculous', 'Irresponsible'

China has refuted the United States' claim that it was militarizing the South China Sea Thursday calling it "ridiculous" and "irresponsible." 

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Jim Mattis, the United States' Defense Secretary, said Tuesday, Washington would push back China's actions in the disputed waterway claiming it was militarizing the islands in the South China Sea.

Hua Chunying, a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, said during a press briefing Thursday: "The United States military presence in the South China Sea is greater than that of China and other countries that surround the seas combined." 

Hua also questioned U.S. Navy's hegemony implying that the U.S. "freedom of navigation" operations seems to be not just about preserving the right for ships to sail through the region. 

"This sounds like a case of a thief crying 'stop thief' to cover their misdeeds," she added.  

During a separate briefing, Defense Ministry spokesman, Ren Guoqiang, said they had noted that the U.S. had recently been "turning a blind eye to the facts and hyping up" the militarization of the South China Sea. 

No country has the right to "make irresponsible remarks" about China's building of necessary defense facilities on its territory, Ren pointed out. Mattis is expected to deliver a speech on China at a Shangri-la dialogue conference in Singapore beginning Friday.   

Chinese papers including The Global Times said that China must prepare to forcefully to respond to any "extreme" U.S. interference in the South China Sea in editorials Thursday. 

"Aside from deploying defensive weapons on the Spratly Islands, China should build a powerful deterrence system, including an aerial base and a roving naval force and base," the Times stated. 

In an exclusive, Reuters reported Sunday that the two U.S. Navy warships sailed near South China Sea islands an action, which was later described as an attempt at provocation by China.

While the Sunday operation had been planned months in advance, and similar operations have become routine, it comes at a sensitive time and days after the Pentagon withdrew an invitation to China to attend a major U.S.-hosted naval drill.

Pentagon officials have long complained that China has not been candid enough about its rapid military build-up and using South China Sea islands to gather intelligence. Recent satellite photographs showed China appeared to have deployed truck-mounted surface-to-air missiles or anti-ship cruise missiles at Woody Island.

Earlier in May, China's air force landed bombers on disputed islands and reefs in the South China Sea as part of a training exercise.  

Two U.S. Navy warships sailed near South China Sea islands were claimed by China on Sunday, two U.S. officials told Reuters.  Beijing expressed anger over the issue. 

China’s Defense Ministry expressed its anger, saying it had sent ships and aircraft to warn the U.S. warships to leave, saying they had entered the country’s territorial waters without permission.

The move "contravened Chinese and relevant international law, seriously infringed upon Chinese sovereignty (and) harmed strategic mutual trust between the two militaries," the official statement said. 

In a separate statement, China’s Foreign Ministry urged the United States to stop such actions, "China will continue to take all necessary measures to defend the country’s sovereignty and security." 

The U.S. military has long maintained that their operations are carried out throughout the world, including in areas claimed by allies, and that they are separate from political considerations.