U.S. Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Saturday China’s actions in recent maritime disputes were “destabilising” the region, prompting an angry response from Beijing accusing Washington of fanning mistrust.
Speaking at the Shangri-La regional security dialogue in Singapore, Mr. Hagel said China had, in recent months, “undertaken destabilising, unilateral actions asserting its claims in the South China Sea”.
Mr. Hagel also pledged U.S. support to countries in the region such as Vietnam and the Philippines that are currently embroiled in maritime disputes with China over disputed waters and islands of the South China Sea.
A senior Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) responded to the comments by accusing Mr. Hagel of “going against” the two countries’ “new model” of relations requiring them both to “respect each other and treat each other as equals”.
Wang Guanzhong, the Deputy Chief of General Staff of the PLA and the senior most Chinese military official at the Shangri-La dialogue, was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency that China was “making efforts” to narrow differences and expand common interests “while the moves of the United States mentioned by Hagel go contrary to them”.
