Flights to Vietnam from Bangkok

The alleged continuous land reclamation by China on Mischief Reef within the Spratly Islands when you look at the South China Sea, west of Palawan, the Philippines, sometimes appears within aerial file image taken through a glass screen of a Philippine armed forces plane on May 11, 2015. (Reuters photo)

BEIJING — Asia rejected a protest from Vietnam over a flight test it's performed on a new airstrip on a man-made area when you look at the South China Sea, saying its element of Asia's territory.

Vietnam Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh said that test trip violated Vietnam's sovereignty, breached shared comprehension and harm the bilateral relations.

"Vietnam resolutely protests Chinese above-said activity and demand that Asia immediately end, not duplicate similar actions, " he said in a declaration.

In a response on Saturday, Chinese international Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying stated the test trip regarding the newly built airstrip on Fiery Cross Reef within the Spratly isles was carried out to find out if brand new airfield met the criteria for civil aviation.

"Relevant task drops completely within China's sovereignty, " Hua said in a declaration. "The Chinese part won't take the unfounded accusations through the Vietnamese part."

China became much more assertive in pushing its statements south Asia water countries, an archipelago abundant with normal resources this is the center point of competing statements by neighbouring governments.

China has piled sand on red coral reefs atop which it built airfields, radar installations and docking services. Just like nearly all of its plan in Southern China water, Beijing has remained opaque about its programs when it comes to island airstrips.

Beijing insists its island building works are justified and don't represent a threat to stability and freedom of navigation. The United States as well as its local allies have expressed concern that Asia's powerful assertion of their statements features aggravated tensions.

Although Vietnam currently has an airstrip in Spratlys, it is only long enough to allow for slow-moving cargo and surveillance planes. Asia's airstrip on Fiery Cross Reef is for enough time for bombers with the capacity of starting cruise missiles.