A top US naval commander said Monday that Washington plans to boost its military presence in Asia, while warning that China should expand its own forces in a "responsible and constructive" way.
The United States has expressed concerns about Beijing's military build up, with the Pentagon saying this month that China was developing "counter-space" weapons that could shoot down satellites or jam signals.
Beijing has become increasingly assertive in its ambitions on the high seas in recent years with plans to roll out its first aircraft carrier as the centerpiece in the emerging power's growing naval fleet.
The former Soviet aircraft carrier called the Varyag is currently being refurbished in the port city of Dalian in northeast China.
