_Activities in the South China Sea continue to be in the news. Published below, are comments made in February last year by Sir Angus Houston, who was formerly Australia’s defence chief. John Menadue.

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The retired defence chief Angus Houston has warned Australia should not participate in freedom of navigation operations within 12 nautical miles of Chinas artificial islands in the South China Sea.

He has also criticised the push to blockade Chinas artificial islands, saying that would invite a sharp response from Beijing.

But he has reminded China that all countries must abide by the protocols of international law, saying a global, rules-based order should apply in the South China Sea as it applies everywhere else.

To have a sort of environment where everybody does their own thing is clearly not on for the future, he said.

Appearing at the National Press Club on Tuesday, Houston said diplomacy would be the best response to current problems in the South China Sea.

He said it was too late to stop the Chinese building artificial islands in the region but we may be able to … convince our Chinese friends, with the assistance of all the other players in the region who have the same concern as we do, that they do not militarise those artificial islands.

I think any militarisation of those islands is deeply destabilising to the region, he said.

Tensions have increased in recent years as China has increasingly claimed sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, building seven artificial islands on reefs and rocks, and outfitting them with military-length airstrips and anti-aircraft guns.

In July last year, the permanent court of arbitration in The Hague ruled that China had no historical title over the South China Sea, increasing global diplomatic pressure on Beijing to scale back military expansion in the area but China rejected the ruling.

The US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson during his confirmation hearing in Washington last month argued China should be denied access to its artificial islands, saying its control and construction of artificial islands in waters claimed by neighbouring countries was akin to Russias taking of Crimea.

Were going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed, he said.

But Houston said on Tuesday that a blockade would be a bad idea.

I wouldnt support that, he said. I think that that will invite a sharp response from the Chinese.

He also said Australia should not take part in freedom of navigation operations within 12 nautical miles of the artificial islands, warning: I think that could provoke a response, a military response, and I dont think that that would be a good idea.

I think its all about diplomacy in the first instance and theres no need to provoke any military response.

But he did say Australia needed to ensure that overflight was not a problem, or that transit by ships through the South China Sea was constrained in any way.

Australia has previously drawn criticism from China for running surveillance flights over disputed islands in the South China Sea and supporting US freedom of navigation exercises there.

Labors defence spokesman, Richard Marles, argued last year that Australias navy and airforce should be fully authorised to conduct freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea, including within 12 nautical miles of artificial islands built by China.