**ISLAMABAD**
China on Friday accused Washington of undermining regional stability by bolstering its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region, according to state media.
"Any cooperation between the US and the Philippines should not target or harm the interests of any third party, nor should it exaggerate so-called 'threats,' provoke confrontation, or escalate regional tensions," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.
Guo emphasized that there has “never been any issue regarding navigation or overflight in the South China Sea” and added: “It is the US that has long been indulging its allies in provocation and stirring up trouble in the South China Sea.”
Beijing’s comments came after Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s statements on Friday in Manila, where he pledged support to the Philippines against “communist China” during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Manila and Washington must stand "shoulder to shoulder" in the face of the threat represented by China, Hegseth said.
Guo said: "It is the US that has repeatedly fabricated the false narrative that China threatens freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. And it is the US that continues to bolster its military presence in the region and seeks to undermine regional peace and stability."
Hegseth is on a two-day visit to the Philippines, after which he is scheduled to travel to Japan, another US ally in the broader Asia-Pacific region.
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