Kuala Lumpur, Nov 1 (IANS) US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday lashed out at China for its military activities in the South China Sea, calling for collective efforts to counter them, such as crafting a shared maritime domain awareness platform.

Hegseth made the remarks during a meeting with his counterparts from the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the margins of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Kuala Lumpur, saying that America does not seek conflict, but must ensure that “China is not seeking to dominate you.”

“At the Shangri-La Dialogue, I noted in my remarks that China’s behaviour toward its neighbours and the world is a wake-up call — shared examples of intimidation, harassment and illegal activities occurring within your sovereign waters and across the South China Sea,” he said, referring to his speech delivered at a forum in Singapore in May.

“Unfortunately, in the months since then, China’s destabilising actions have only increased. You’ve seen it. The world has seen it. It’s on videotape. Some of you have been on the receiving end of it,” he said, Yonhap news agency reported.

The Secretary enumerated multiple cases of Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea that have caused tensions with neighboring countries that lay claims to parts of the strategically vital waterway.

“Ramming and blasting water cannons at ships and baselessly claiming that there’s trespassing going on, unlawfully claiming jurisdiction over waters that are not theirs, attempting to regulate peaceful military actions by other nations,” he said.

He pointed out such actions by China demonstrate a lack of respect for neighboring countries.

“China’s sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea fly in the face of their commitments to resolve disputes peacefully,” he said.

Beijing makes territorial claims to the South China Sea with the so-called nine-dash line, a boundary that takes in more than 90 percent of the waterway, creating friction with neighboring claimants, such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Hegseth underlined the need to develop capabilities to monitor maritime activities and devise tools to respond swiftly to actions that threaten sovereignty.

“I propose we commit to building shared maritime domain awareness, including in the South China Sea, developing a common operating picture where threats to one are known by all … ensuring that whoever is on the receiving end of aggression and provocation is then therefore, by definition, not alone,” he said.

The Secretary also sought to address concerns that the Trump administration’s America First policy could lead to a weakening of its security commitment to regional allies and partners.

“We are implementing America First. But America First does not mean America alone,” he said. “It means with our allies and partners able to uphold stability, security, freedom of navigation, ultimately peace.”

On Friday, Hegseth held his first in-person talks with Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun, where he voiced “serious” concerns over China’s maritime activities in the region and reiterated that the US does not pursue conflict but will “stoutly” safeguard its interests in the Indo-Pacific.

–IANS

/as