'China Must Stop Eroding Neighbours' Sovereignty'

The United States warned China on Saturday against threatening its neighbours' sovereignty and said Washington was investing in new military technology in the next five years to keep Asia stable.

Washington and Beijing have been vying for influence in the region, which hosts potential flashpoints such as the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait.

Ties between the two powers are once again taking centre stage at the weekend Singapore conference known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, which gathers defence ministers and top military officials from around the world.

While the forum is purely on security, the discussions are also being held against a backdrop of Sino-US trade tensions and high-tech rivalry.

"China can and should have a cooperative relationship with the rest of the region ... But behaviour that erodes other nations' sovereignty and sows distrust of China's intentions must end," acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan told the forum.

"Until it does, we stand against a myopic, narrow, and parochial vision of the future, and we stand for the free and open order that has benefitted us all, including China."

Washington has been pushing back against Beijing's militarisation of the South China Sea, where China has built installations to enforce blanket sovereignty, pitting it against partial claims by Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Beijing is also regularly angered by US warships transiting through the Taiwan Strait, which it considers part of its territorial waters.

For the first time since 2011, China has sent its defence minister, General Wei Fenghe, to the Singapore gathering. Wei is scheduled to speak on Sunday during which he is expected to respond to Shanahan's remarks. (AFP)