China warns Japan, Philippines accuses China in maritime spat

BEIJING/MANILA (Reuters) - China warned Japan on Friday to stay out of a growing dispute with its neighbours over the South China Sea, as the Philippines implicitly accused Beijing of delaying talks aimed at a solution.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, rejecting rival claims to parts of it from Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei in one of Asia's most intractable disputes and a possible flashpoint. It also has a separate maritime dispute with Japan over islands in the East Sea.