China has defended its new fishing restrictions in disputed waters of the South China Sea, claiming that the rules were in accordance with the international law, and slamming the United States criticism of the rules for being "provocative and potentially dangerous."
The regulations, which were approved by China's southern Hainan province and took effect on January 1, require foreign fishing vessels to obtain approval to enter the disputed waters, which the local government claims to be under its jurisdiction, the BBC reports.
China claims a U-shaped swathe of the South China Sea, which overlaps areas also claimed by several South East Asian nations, the report added.
Beijing claims almost the entire oil and gas-rich South China Sea and rejects rival claims to parts of it from the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam.
The move came just a few months after China's recent establishment of an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) in disputed East China Sea islands claimed, drawing international criticism.