China navy to express "solemn position" on U.S. patrol

China will express its "solemn position" on a U.S. warship that sailed within 12 nautical miles of one of China's man-made islands in the South China Sea during a teleconference with U.S. officials on Thursday, the Defence Ministry said.

Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun made the remarks at a briefing on Thursday. U.S. chief of naval operations Admiral John Richardson and his Chinese counterpart Admiral Wu Shengli are set to hold a video teleconference after a U.S. warship challenged Beijing's territorial assertiveness in the disputed waterway this week.