China accuses the United States of "creating chaos" in Asia to maintain its hegemony

The Chinese embassies in the Philippines and Vietnam have accused the United States of "creating chaos" in Asia and of meddling in conflicts in the region to maintain its hegemony, following the visit to those countries by Robert O'Brien, security adviser to Donald Trump's administration.

O'Brien-who visited Vietnam on Saturday and the Philippines on Sunday and Monday-accused Beijing during his stay in Asia of using military pressure to promote its interests in the disputed South China Sea.

"It shows that your visit to this region is not to promote peace and stability, but to create chaos in the region in order to promote US selfish interests," the Chinese Embassy in Manila said in a statement.

According to the Chinese diplomatic corps, the United States should "stop inciting confrontation" in the South China Sea and "stop making irresponsible comments on the issue of Taiwan and Hong Kong, which are purely internal Chinese affairs".

During his trip, Trump's adviser promised "support" to the Philippines and Vietnam in their maritime disputes with China, which claims almost the entire South China Sea, including areas also claimed by Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

The Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in 2016 in favour of the Philippines in its maritime claims with China, the only country in the region with a favourable international ruling at this time.

However, China has not ceased its naval expansion in the disputed areas, with the presence of vessels harassing Filipino and Vietnamese fishermen; while the US has increased the flow of military manoeuvres in the area to defend the freedom of navigation that China does not allow its neighbours.

"The facts have shown that the United States is the main driving force behind militarisation", China accused Washington, which it considered "the most dangerous external factor" in the South China Sea.

The Chinese legation in Hanoi also reacted to Mr O'Brien's visit in another statement in which he accused the US of not wishing to help the countries of the region settle their disputes, but of seeking to discredit China in order to maintain its hegemony in the region.

"The United States is not a party to these disputes, but it has been openly interfering in the affairs of the South China Sea under the pretext of safeguarding stability and freedom of navigation," said the Chinese embassy in Hanoi about O'Brien's visit to Vietnam, where he met the prime minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and the foreign minister, Pham Binh Minh.

During his stay in Asia, Mr O'Brien also stressed the US's commitment to Taiwan's independence and warned China that it would face a "violent reaction" if it used force to coerce this territory, which Beijing considers a province.

The United States and China have disagreed on issues ranging from technology and human rights to militarization.