Tillerson lays down the law to Beijing in South China Sea dispute

Rex Tillerson, Donald Trump's nominee for US secretary of state, has sent a warning to the Chinese government over their actions in the South China Sea.

Tillerson is currently facing hearings in the Senate to confirm his nomination for the senior diplomatic post, and said that the construction of islands in the area was unacceptable, adding that the country's forces should not be allowed to access them.

Several other Asian states including Vietnam, the Phillipines and Malaysia have claimed control over various parts of the area south of Hong Kong, with an international tribunal in the Hague ruling against China in the long-running dispute.

"We're going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed," Tillerson said during his confirmation hearing.

The former ExxonMobil CEO also compared the situation with China in the area as "akin to Russia's taking Crimea", referring to the incident in which Vladimir Putin's country annexed part of Ukraine in 2014.

In response to Tillerson's comments on the dispute, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson dismissed the idea that China was acting unlawfully through its actions in the region.

"China has full right to conduct all lawful activities within its own sovereign zone," said Lu Kang.

"The South China Sea situation has recently cooled down, and we hope all countries outside the region can respect this consensus," he added.