Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying urges the United States stop creating tensions which would harm the international maritime order and regional peace and stability during a press conference on Tuesday, April 26, 2016. [Photo:fmprc.gov]

The so-called "freedom of navigation" program of the United States embodies its pursuit of maritime hegemony and the US should stop creating tensions which could harm the international maritime order and regional peace and stability, said China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made that remark at a regular press conference in response to a U.S. Department of Defense report saying the U.S. military conducted "freedom of navigation" operations against 13 countries including China last year.

The report says the operations against China are aimed at challenging China's jurisdiction over its exclusive economic zones and China's attempt to limit flights in its Air Defense Identification Zone.

Hua said the US is actually pushing forward its unilateral claim by using force or threats backed by its strong naval and air power in the name of the so-called "freedom of navigation".

"It is known that the United States launched the 'freedom of navigation' program in 1979 ahead of the signing of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Its purpose was to maintain to the maximum extent the U.S. military's freedom and mobility to navigate the Oceans without joining the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Its purpose was to challenge the new maritime order. This has fully reflected the U.S. attempt to dominate maritime order and its hegemonic approach to international laws, and the idea of American exceptionalism," said Hua.

Hua said China asks the US to pay due respect to other countries' sovereign right and security and do things which are truly conducive to maintaining the international maritime order and regional peace and stability.