A commentary in a Chinese Communist Party-affiliated newspaper says it is time that Beijing launched some “tiny-scale battles” in the South China Sea to deter its neighbors from stealing China's resources.

The article appears on the website of the Global Times newspaper under the headline “Time to teach those around South China Sea a lesson.”

The author, a strategic analyst of the China Energy Fund Committee, warns that countries around the region — including Singapore, Australia, Japan and India — are arming with U.S. assistance for a possible world-class battle.

The article says China should politely warn those who infringe on its sovereignty and steal its oil, but then take action if they fail to respond.

Reaction to the article on the Global Times website has been largely negative. One comment describes the author as “reckless” and “fueled by extreme hatred and radicalism.” Another criticizes the newspaper for allowing a “thug” to post “idiocy” on its page.

Tensions have been rising for months between China and several of its neighbors over conflicting territorial claims in the South China Sea. Vietnam and the Philippines both say Chinese vessels have interfered in oil exploration efforts off their shores.

Several countries bordering the sea claim exclusive economic zones extending 370 kilometers from their shores under the international Law of the Sea. China claims virtually the entire sea based on Chinese maps dating from the early 20th century.