China's restraint toward South China Sea provocations 'has limits'

Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun said, on Sunday morning, that China's restraint toward certain countries' provocations in the South China Sea "has limits".

He made the remarks during his keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, saying that the overall situation in the South China Sea is stable due to the joint efforts of regional countries.

However, certain countries, incited by external forces, have abandoned bilateral agreements and violated their commitments, deliberately stirring up trouble, creating false impressions and misleading public opinion, Dong noted.

These countries "even disregard the overall interests of the region, violate the spirit of the ASEAN Charter and cooperate with external forces to deploy intermediate-range missiles, severely undermining regional security and stability," Dong said.

"Such actions will ultimately backfire. The international community is well aware of this," he added.

"China has shown considerable restraint toward these infringing and provocative actions, but the restraint has limits," the minister stated.

He expressed hope that these countries would recognize the stakes involved, return to the right path of dialogue and consultation, and work with regional countries to make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.