But associate Fellow with the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House, Bill Hayton, says tensions in the disputed water can have "major economic implications"

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Hayton said: "Tensions there would echo right around the world because China is the world's second-biggest economy and Japan is the third."

Hayton said: "Then you've got Korea and Taiwan plus the southeast Asian countries."

"You've got a huge amount of trade crossing the South China Sea, some estimates say around $3.5trillion a year goes through it," Hayton said.

China has been engaged in territorial disputes with several nations in the past several weeks.