China's foreign ministry said Tuesday that it was "extremely concerned" after leaders of Southeast Asian countries expressed worries about land reclamation and navigational freedom in the disputed South China Sea.
China's reclamation work in the South China Sea has become the latest source of tension with some of its smaller neighbors, several of whom have competing territorial claims in the waters.
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said after a summit this week in Kuala Lumpur that reclamation work had "eroded trust and confidence and may undermine peace, security and stability in the South China Sea."