China is destabilising south-east Asia, US defence secretary says • Chuck Hagel says US will not ignore from Beijing's actions • Chinese general says 'criticisms are groundless' • Washington pledges to support uneasy allies, including Japan

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel with Lieutenant General Wang Guanzhong, of China. Photograph: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

China's aggressive moves to claim jurisdiction over land and sky in the Asia-Pacific risk undermining peace and security in the region and beyond, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Saturday. Beijing scoffed as the "groundless" charges.
Hagel told an international security conference that the US "will not look the other way" when China and others try to restrict navigation or ignore international rules and standards.
Chin's territorial claims in the South China Sea are destabilising the region, he said, adding that Beijing's failure to resolve such disputes threatens East Asia's long-term progress.
A Chinese general took issue with Hagel's comments, saying that "although I do think that those criticisms are groundless, I do appreciate your candor."