SINGAPORE -- China's defense ministry accused the United States of trying to "hijack” the support of countries within the Asia-Pacific region in order to turn them against Beijing. Washington claims it is seeking to promote its own interests "under multilateralism."

Defense Minister Gen. Wei Fenghe slammed U.S. Secretary Of Defense Lloyd Austin. He rejected his "smearing accusations" at the Shangri-La Dialogue that China was causing instability through its claim to Taiwan's self-governing island and "destabilizing militarism" in the region.

Austin had stressed the importance of multilateral partnerships with countries in the Indo-Pacific. Wei suggested that this was an attempt to push China into a corner.

He stated that no country should force its will on other countries or bully them under the pretense of multilateralism. The strategy is an attempt by a small group to create an Indo-Pacific free and open to hijack other countries and target one country. It is a strategy to create conflict, confrontation and encircle the rest.

China is rapidly modernizing its military, and trying to expand its influence in the region. Recently, China signed a security agreement in Solomon Islands, which many fear could lead China to build a naval base in the Pacific. This week, China began work on a naval port expansion in Cambodia, which could give Beijing a foothold within the Gulf of Thailand.

The United States accused China last year of testing a hypersonic weapon, which is harder to counter with missile defense systems. However, China claimed it was a routine test of a spacecraft.

Wei answered a question regarding Sunday's test and said, "As far as hypersonic weapons go, many countries are creating weapons, so it's not surprising that China is doing this."

He said, "China will develop its army." It's natural, I think.

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Rising was reported from Bangkok. This report was contributed by Zen Soo in Hong Kong, and Caroline Chen in Beijing.