U.S. becoming key driver of militarization in South China Sea, says top China diplomat

"Peace and stability is China's greatest strategic interest in the South China Sea. It is also the common strategic aspiration of China and ASEAN countries," Wang said in a statement posted on the foreign ministry's website.

The Chinese government's senior diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, said on Wednesday the United States is directly intervening in territorial and maritime disputes in the South China Sea due to its own political needs. It is becoming the biggest driver of militarization in the region, Wang said.

He made the remark in a video conference with foreign ministers at an ASEAN summit. "Peace and stability is China's greatest strategic interest in the South China Sea. It is also the common strategic aspiration of China and ASEAN countries," Wang said in a statement posted on the foreign ministry's website.

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