(VOVworld) - China's land reclamation in the East Sea is out of step with international rules, US  Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told the 14^th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday. He added that the US opposes "any further militarization" in the East Sea.

US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter addresses the 14th Shangri-la Dialogue (IISS) Asia Security Summit, May 30, 2015, in Singapore. Photo: AP

In his keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Friday, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called on China and ASEAN to conclude a Code of Conduct on the East Sea as soon as possible, so as to break the vicious cycle and not let disputes sour the broader relationship. He added that if all parties adhere to international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), that is the best outcome. He noted that in the long run, a stable regional order cannot be maintained just by superior force. It requires consent and legitimacy in the international community together with the balance of power, he added.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s speech came just days following China’s release of its first white paper on military strategy. The paper with threatening comments against China’s neighboring countries has been strongly criticized by the US. The new head of the US Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris Jr., characterized China’s land claims in the disputed waters as "preposterous." The admiral declared US forces, if called upon, would be ready to fight to defend American interests in the vast Asia Pacific.

Also on Friday, John McCain, Chairman of the US Senate Armed Service Committee, proposed the US provide hundreds of millions of USD to help train and equip armed forces of Southeast Asian countries to deal with territorial challenges. He made the proposal in an amendment to the 2016 US Defense Authorization Act, expected to be passed later this year, entitled the East Sea Initiative.