Richard Marles, Australia’s defence minister, has said China must explain what he called an “extraordinary military buildup”.
He said Beijing must provide greater transparency and reassurance about its activities.
Marles said China’s military buildup was the greatest by any country since the end of the Second World War.
The BBC quoted Marles as saying: “It’s the fact that it is happening without strategic reassurance. It’s happening without a clear strategic intent on the part of China… what we want to see is strategic transparency and strategic reassurance being provided by China, and an understanding of why it is needed to have such an extraordinary military buildup.”
The Philippines has also spoken out against what it calls “aggressive” tactics by the Chinese navy and coast guard in the South China Sea.