Defense minister calls on countries to stay vigilant on South China Sea

State Councilor and Defense Minister General Li Shangfu called on Sunday for regional countries to stay highly vigilant and firmly reject the actions of some countries outside the South China Sea, which exercise "hegemony of navigation "in the name of "freedom of navigation".

He warned that those countries just want to "muddy the waters" of the South China Sea to "rake in profits".

The defense chief made the remarks in his speech delivered at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, a day after United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the security forum that the US will continue to work with allies and partners to uphold "freedom of navigation and overflight" in the South China Sea.