China rebuked New Zealand's defense minister at the opening of a high-profile security forum in Beijing on Tuesday, criticizing his stance on tensions in the disputed South China Sea, saying countries "not involved" should not interfere.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion worth of trade passes each year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.
An international tribunal in the Hague ruled in July that China had no historic title over the waters and had breached the Philippines' sovereign rights there. That decision infuriated Beijing, which dismissed the court's authority.