Chinese tabloid says U.S. needs to 'wage war' to block off South China Sea islands

J-15 fighters from China's Liaoning aircraft carrier conduct a drill in an area of South China Sea, January 2, 2017. REUTERS/Mo Xiaoliang

BEIJING (Reuters) - Blocking Chinese access to islands in the South China Sea would require the U.S. to "wage war", an influential Chinese state-run tabloid said on Friday, after U.S. Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson suggested the strategy on Wednesday.

Tillerson told his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that he wanted to send a signal to China that their access to islands in the disputed South China Sea "is not going to be allowed". He did not elaborate.