article_snippet.sent: The area near the Spratly Islands where China is constructing artificial islands is claimed by many other countries in the region .
article_snippet.sent: Only hours before Obama's comments, Hua Chunying added that China has 'indisputable rights' to the Spratly Islands and China was 'protecting China nation's sovereignty', according to the BBC.
article_snippet.sent: But the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all have overlapping claims to the region.
article_snippet.sent: Controversial: A spokesperson from China's foreign ministry said Chinaindisputable rights' to the Spratly islands
article_snippet.sent: and China was protecting the Spratly islands nation's sovereignty .
article_snippet.sent: the Spratly islands claim China is illegally reclaiming the contested area and creating artificial islands with facilities that could have military use.
article_snippet.sent: Aerial photo shows Thitu Island, part of the disputed Spartly group of islands in the South China Sea located off the coast of western Philippines, pictured on July 20, 2011 .
article_snippet.sent: The dispute centres around hundreds of tiny shoals, reefs and islets in the South China Sea known as the Spratlys and the Paracels.
article_snippet.sent: Several south Asian countries stake claim to the territory, though China tries to control the largest portion of the archipelago.
article_snippet.sent: China has claimed China right to the collection of land masses is 2,000 years old which, they say, includes its beautiful natural islands.
article_snippet.sent: Taiwan supports Taiwan claim, and has Taiwan own airfield on the island of Taiping.
article_snippet.sent: Vietnamese officials say Vietnamese officials government has ruled over the land since the 17th century whilst the Philippines, the closest geographically, says its beautiful natural islands belong to Vietnamese officials.
article_snippet.sent: Later, Vietnamese border agencies refused to stamp passports asserting Chinese sovereignty over a handful of its beautiful natural islands and in January its beautiful natural islands was claimed China would be taken to a UN tribunal to challenge China stake.