Beijing, Sep 14 (IANS): A Chinese daily Friday targeted Manila for renaming a part of South China Sea the West Philippine Sea and said Beijing "will not tolerate the Philippines' attempts to encroach upon its maritime territory".

An editorial in the China Daily said: "By renaming a part of the South China Sea the `West Philippine Sea', Manila has managed again to whip up tensions between itself and China, especially since the waters it claims as its maritime territory in fact contain China's Huangyan Island."

"It is only natural that Beijing would strongly oppose such a reckless decision," it said.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer recently said Philippine President Benigno Aquino signed an administrative order Sep 5 to give the name West Philippine Sea to parts of the South China Sea that "fall within the country's exclusive economic zone".

The Chinese daily said "any reasonable person can recognize that Manila is being irrational if it thinks it can gain sovereignty over a part of the South China Sea simply by giving it a different name".

It warned: "China, with its indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Island, will not tolerate the Philippines' attempts to encroach upon its maritime territory."

"Manila's decision is therefore null and void and will do nothing to change the fact that the South China Sea and Huangyan Island have been part of Chinese territory since ancient times," it added.

The editorial went on to say that Manila has "resorted to one antic after another to restate its `sovereignty' over that territory. Those have only succeeded in aggravating the situation and straining Sino-Philippine ties".

"...Manila's latest decision will do nothing but squander the efforts both sides have made to quell the recent disputes. China will never shy away from protecting its territory.

"The Philippines, therefore, will have to reap what it has sown."