DHAKA: China strongly denounced Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and United States Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel Sunday for "provocative" remarks accusing Beijing of destabilising actions in contested regional waters.

Lieutenant General Wang Guanzhong, deputy chief of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), told an Asian security forum in Singapore that the comments had been "unacceptable".

Abe opened the Shangri-La Dialogue on Friday by urging countries to respect the rule of law -- an apparent reference to perceived Chinese aggression over disputed islets in the South and East China seas.

Hagel followed on Saturday by warning China against "destabilising actions" in the South China Sea and listed a number of alleged infractions, including against the Philippines and Vietnam.

"The Chinese delegation... have this feeling that the speeches of Abe and Hagel are a provocative action against China," said Wang, dressed in full military regalia.

He cast aside his prepared speech and said he needed to respond to the remarks, accusing Abe and Hagel of "coordinating" with each other to attack China at the conference.

"This is simply unimaginable," said Wang, the highest ranking military official in the Chinese delegation, adding that the speeches were "unacceptable and not in the spirit of this Shangri-La Dialogue".

"The speeches made by Abe and Hagel gave me the impression that they coordinated with each other, they supported each other, they encouraged each other and they took the advantage of speaking first... and staged provocative actions and challenges against China," he said.

Stressing US commitments to allies and friends in Asia, Hagel had called for a peaceful resolution of maritime disputes and issued a blunt message to Bejing.

"In recent months, China has undertaken destabilising, unilateral actions asserting its claims in the South China Sea," the Pentagon chief said.

Source: Chnnelnewsasia.com

BDST:1116 HRS, JUN 01,2014