A senior Chinese military official on Saturday accused the United States' so-called Indo-Pacific strategy of aiming to create an Asia-Pacific version of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to maintain American hegemony.

Lieutenant General Jing Jianfeng, deputy chief of the Central Military Commission's Joint Staff Department, made these remarks during a news conference on Saturday afternoon in Singapore. His comments came in response to a speech by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during the security forum Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday morning, which included criticism of China.

Jing said that the US' "Indo-Pacific" strategy claims to "promote regional cooperation but actually clings to Cold War mentality and zero-sum game tactics, forming exclusive clubs".

"The real purpose of this strategy is to integrate small circles into a larger circle — an Asia-Pacific version of NATO — thereby maintaining US dominance," he said.

The senior official said that the so-called partnerships promoted by the US are, in reality, exclusive circles that prioritize American interests.

"The Asia-Pacific region is a stage for peaceful development, not an arena for geopolitical contests," he said, stressing that prosperity and stability are the common aspirations and pursuits of all.

"We are willing to work with the armed forces of regional countries to enhance strategic communication, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and contribute new and greater strength to building an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future," Jing said.

Additionally, he addressed the content related to the South China Sea in Austin's speech, reiterating China's stance on the issue.

Jing highlighted that the root cause of tensions in the South China Sea lies in the Philippines' perfidy and provocations, and the US' interference.

Currently, the overall situation in the South China Sea is stable, he said, citing that 50 percent of the world's merchant ships, including those from the US, and one-third of maritime trade pass through these waters.

Jing said US warships even enter the region uninvited, "wasn't that a manifestation of the freedom (of navigation) in the South China Sea?"

But the US narrative on the South China Sea distorts the facts and creates unnecessary panic with malicious motive, Jing added.

"The US' speech is completely unreasonable, which supported the Philippines and insinuated China's legitimate rights protection actions," said the Lieutenant General.

"Both the Philippines' courting external forces and the US' creation of confrontation and crisis in the South China Sea have undermined regional peace and stability, harming the common interests of regional countries," he noted.