(UPDATE) A CHINESE foreign ministry official believes that Beijing and Manila can resolve their maritime dispute on their own, but a "third party" could turn the South China Sea (SCS) into a "sea of war." China, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, believed to be rich in gas and oil deposits. "We have [the] ability to handle it well but have to stay high-alert that South China Sea might be turned into the sea of war by the third party," Zhou said. The US, on the other hand, has warned against China's aggressiveness in asserting its claims in the South China Sea. Zhou said China's "goal" is for the South China Sea "to become the sea of peace, friendship and cooperation."
