On Saturday, Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke of China's assertion of its sovereignty on man-made islands it is creating near heavily trafficked sea lanes in the South China Sea, according to the Washington Post. The two countries spoke at a press conference in Beijing.

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China is currently claiming sovereignty to nearly the entire South China Sea. This has resulted in overlapping claims with Brunei, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Kerry said he is concerned with China's pace and scope when it came to the reclamation projects in the contested areas of the South China Sea.

Kerry would be holding a host of meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping as well as other top government officials in the Chinese capital.

During the joint press conference, Kerry said that it is the strength of the modern U.S.-China relationship that the two parties are able to speak candidly. He also urged China to take actions that will reduce the tension between the countries.

However, before the meeting, it appears that China does not agree with the moderation in its behavior with regard to the matter of the South China Sea. State media previously accused the U.S. of "thinly veiled hypocrisy," according to the BBC.

Meanwhile, experts and some U.S. military officials see it highly likely that Beijing will be declaring an Air Defence Identification Zone or ADIZ in the South China Sea. During the past week, the U.S. Navy reportedly sent a littoral combat ship during its first patrol of the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea. The ship watched the sea as well as the skies.

In a statement on the U.S. Navy's Web site, they said that the USS Fort Worth dispatched a reconnaissance drone and a Seahawk helicopter in order to patrol the airspace. The USS Fort Worth is considered one of the most modern ships in the U.S. Navy.

In the Navy's statement, there had been no mention of China's rapid land reclamation in the Spratlys; however, the dispatch from the USS Fort Worth was already a demonstration of U.S. capabilities and highly likely a message to China.

"It's not inevitable but if we are betting paychecks I'll bet that they will eventually declare one, I just don't know when," a senior U.S. commander familiar with the tension said.

The United States and Japan began its conflict with China after China imposed an ADIZ in the East China Sea.

China may reportedly find the South China Sea more problematic as complexities are arising from the dispute with other countries and challenges from the U.S. Navy and Air Force.

At sea, tensions are already visible.

The U.S. Navy's statement in their Web site about the USS Fort Worth noted that the ship "encountered multiple People's Liberation Army-Navy warships" while patrolling the area. No further details were provided.

It has been decades since the conflicting claims to island chains in the South China Sea like the Spratlys and Paracels began. However, the United Staes is concerned that China's new assets, such as their military-capable runways, will create a rift in the balance of power.

After the meeting in Beijing,  Kerry said he "urged China to take actions that will join with everybody in helping to reduce tensions and increase the prospect of a diplomatic solution."

In reply, Wang said, "The determination of the Chinese side to safeguard our own sovereignty and territorial integrity is as firm as a rock and it is unshakeable."

However, he was quick to say that China and the United States had "more common interests than differences," urging both sides "to act in the spirit of mutual respect, seeking common ground while shelving differences."

According to U.S. officials, since 2014, China has already reclaimed about 810 hectares of land (2,000 acres) in the disputed Spratly Islands.

TagsU.S.-China, U.S., US china south china sea, John Kerry, Secretary of State John Kerry, prime minister Wang Yi