US National Security Adviser John Bolton has said China is threatening peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region by adopting coercive behaviour towards its southeast Asian neighbours.
"Respect for sovereignty and freedom of navigation are fundamental to the Indo-Pacific vision shared by the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). China's coercive behaviour towards its southeast Asian neighbours is counterproductive and threatens regional peace and stability," Bolton wrote on Twitter on Friday (local time).
Bolton's tweet comes amid reports of a large-scale standoff between Chinese and Vietnamese vessels in the South China sea. According to a report by Straits Times, Vietnam has demanded China to remove an oil exploration ship from disputed waters near the Spratly Islands.
It may be noted that the United States and China are at loggerheads over military deployment in the Indo Pacific region.
While Beijing has protested against US freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea, Washington and China's southeast Asian neighbours are concerned about Beijing's military build-up, reports South China Morning Post.
The South China Sea is one of the most contested regions in the world. China, the Philippines, Vietnam and others have overlapping territorial claims on the sea.
( With inputs from ANI )