China will never "recklessly" resort to the use of force in the South China Sea, a senior Chinese general said yesterday, amid tensions over Beijing's building of islands in the disputed waters. China's relations with several Southeast Asian countries, especially the Philippines and Vietnam who have competing claims in the South China Sea, have been strained over Beijing's increasingly assertive tone on territorial claims in an area through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes annually. Beijing's move last year to step up the creation of artificial islands, which it says are mostly for civilian purposes, has drawn strong criticism from Washington.

'No use of force in South China Sea'. (2015, October 18). The Philippine Star, p.3.