Chinese-born Palmer United Party senator Dio Wang believes Beijing has valid claims over a chain of hotly disputed islands in the South China Sea, saying whoever has the most “power” will win out in the brewing crisis.

Just a few days ago the WA senator said the Chinese Government “did the right thing” when protesters were killed in the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

Speaking toThe West Australian , Senator Wang said he was no expert on the growing South China Sea dispute but suggested Beijing was in the right in its increasingly dangerous dispute with the US.

“I think China does have some valid claims given the history,” he said. “But we don’t live in history.

“Moving forward, whoever has the most power at the time will be the most successful in making claims.”

Washington has demanded Beijing stop work on man-made atolls in the South China Sea in territory also claimed by Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia.

When the US military recently attempted a surveillance flight over one of the islands the Chinese Navy angrily ordered the aircraft to leave immediately.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott warned last week that China must allow ships and aircraft freedom of navigation through the area. It has been reported Australia is considering joining reconnaissance missions in the area, a move that will probably infuriate Beijing.

In a newspaper interview at the weekend, Senator Wang said China acted correctly in its deadly response to student protests in the Tiananmen Square incident.

“Obviously when criminals and students get mixed up you can’t really identify each of them,” he told the Australian Financial Review.

“So when there was force deployed you may get innocent casualties ... otherwise the country would have descended into hell.”

Several hundred people are thought to have been killed when the Chinese military fired live rounds into pro-democracy protesters camped in the square.

Senator Wang, who came to Australia from China just over 10 years ago, said he stood by his comments on the massacre.