China Fires Back After Tillerson Comments

State media in China says any U.S. attempt to block access to its artificial islands in the South China Sea could spark a devastating confrontation. During his confirmation hearing this week Rex Tillerson, Trump's pick for secretary of state, said the U.S. should force China to stop the island building and block access to the islands that are already built.

Accusing Beijing of "declaring control of territories that are not rightfully China's," Tillerson compared its island-building efforts and deployment of military assets on the islands to Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson hears more about how China is reacting from NPR correspondent Rob Schmitz (@rob_schmitz), who is based in Shanghai.

With reporting from The Associated Press