Asia-Pacific people against attempts at turning into vassal states, bloc confrontation: Chinese defense minister

SINGAPORE, June 2 (Xinhua) -- People in the Asia-Pacific are against any attempt to turn their countries into vassal states or draw them into bloc confrontations, and hope to live in an equal and orderly multipolar world, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun said here on Sunday.

In an address delivered at the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore, Dong said countries in the Asia-Pacific have the ability and confidence to resolve issues in the region.

People in the Asia-Pacific despise those who attempt to bolster themselves by taking orders from hegemonic powers, and are confident that some countercurrents in one area or another can never block the overriding trend of the times, Dong said.

On the South China Sea issue, Dong noted that a certain country, emboldened by outside powers, has broken bilateral agreements and its own promises, made premeditated provocations, and created false scenarios to mislead the public. Moreover, it has ignored the overall interests of the region and violated the ASEAN Charter by allowing an outside country to deploy a midrange missile system.

This act will endanger the security and stability of the region, and will eventually backfire, Dong stressed.

China has exercised great restraint in the face of such infringements and provocations, but there is a limit to China's restraint, Dong said, adding that he hopes this country could see where its true interests lie, return to the right track of dialogue and consultation, and work with other countries in the region to make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.