Foreign Minister Wang Yi said yesterday that a "show of force" is unwelcome in the South China Sea.

"The overall situation in the South China Sea is stable at the moment," Wang said during the national legislature's annual session.

"There is no problem with free navigation in such a large sea area, and not a vessel has so far complained about navigation freedom," Wang said in a China Central Television broadcast.

"A show of force would not be good for stability in the region," Wang said.