In a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Mr. Lee accused the US of “provoking confrontation within the bloc for personal gain” and said that the US and its allies were creating rules to assert dominance in the region.
Image of US and Chinese warships nearly colliding. Photo: CNBC
Mr Lee's warning came a day after US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told the forum that any conflict in the Asia- Pacific region would be "devastating" and affect the global economy "in ways we cannot imagine".
The speech came just hours after the US accused a Chinese warship of nearly colliding with a US ship participating in joint exercises with the Canadian navy near the Taiwan Strait, forcing the US ship to slow down to avoid a collision.
Asked about the incident after his speech, Li Shangfu said the US naval presence in the strait was an example of Washington creating chaos in the region. He said if the US and other foreign powers did not want confrontation, they should not send their military assets close to China.
In a statement later on Sunday, a spokesman for the Chinese military's Eastern Theater Command said Chinese forces “handled the situation based on laws and regulations.”
Earlier, a Chinese fighter jet intercepted a US spy plane in international airspace over the South China Sea last week.
The remarks by the Chinese and US defense ministers come at a time of strained relations between the two countries. China even turned down an offer to meet with Mr Austin at a regional security forum in Singapore.
Hoang Nam (according to Xinhua News Agency, CNBC, CNN)
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