China urges US not to interfere in South China Sea issue

China's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the US was not a party to the South China Sea issue and had no right to interfere in maritime matters between China and the Philippines.

The statement by spokeswoman Mao Ning came following a phone call between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo which discussed Beijing's actions in the vast waterway.

Rubio spoke about tensions in the South China Sea with Manalo, according to the US State Department.

"Rubio conveyed that (China's) behavior undermines regional peace and stability and is inconsistent with international law," it said.

Mao said the cooperation between Manila and Washington should not prop up or advance the Philippines' "illegal claims."

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, overlapping the territorial waters of several countries, including the Philippines.

The Philippines is the oldest US ally in the Asia-Pacific region and has allowed the American military to access Filipino military bases.