China's Defence Minister Li Shangfu warned Sunday against establishing NATO-like military alliances in the Asia-Pacific, saying they would plunge the region into a "whirlpool" of conflict.
Li's comments came a day after US and Chinese military vessels sailed close to each other in the flashpoint Taiwan Strait, an incident that provoked anger from both sides, AFP reported.
"Attempts to push for NATO-like (alliances) in the Asia-Pacific is a way of kidnapping regional countries and exaggerating conflicts and confrontations," Li told a security conference in Singapore also attended by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Li warned that these alliances would "plunge the Asia-Pacific into a whirlpool of disputes and conflicts".
Li's comments echoed long-held Chinese criticism of the United States' efforts to shore up alliances in the region and counter China's rise.
The United States is a member of AUKUS, which groups it with Australia and Britain.
Washington is also a member of the QUAD group, which includes Australia, India and Japan.
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