Following China's deployment of a missiles system to the disputed Woody Island in the South China Sea, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has warned Beijing against militarizing the region, saying that the latter will face 'specific consequences' should it continue its activities in the disputed island chain.

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"China must not pursue militarization in the South China Sea," Carter said in a speech he delivered at the San Francisco Commonwealth Club.

China laid claim to the Woody Island in 1950s. However, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia , and Brunei are contesting Beijing's rights to the area, which is located at the heart of very important maritime trade.

                                                          Miscalculation or conflict

"Specific actions will have specific consequences," Carter emphasized."These activities have the potential to increase the risk of miscalculation or conflict among claimant states."

The US has been taking serious measures to counter China's increasing influence in the South China Sea region such as conducting regular naval and aerial patrols.

US officials have said that the country will continue holding multilateral war games with its Asian allies in the disputed international waterway. In his speech, Carter said the US would also step up its freedom of navigation operations in the region.

                                                           Accusations

Beijing and Washington have been exchanging accusations of militarizing the disputed South China Sea. China has said that the US-led war games with other nations and its naval and aerial patrols in the region are greatly contributing to the militarization of the disputed waterway.

"It should be clear that the US military will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as we do all over the world. Because the maritime domain must always be open and free to all," Carter said.

He added that the US concerns in the South China Sea  are focused primarily on the protection of the huge volume of maritime trade that passes through the disputed area. Around $5 trillion in maritime trade passes through the disputed international waterway every year.

"We all have a fundamental stake in the security of maritime Asia, including in the South China Sea. Nearly 30 percent of the world's maritime trade transits its waters annually, including approximately $1.2 trillion in shipping trade bound for the United States," Carter said.

TagsDefense Secretary Ash Carter, South China Sea, Woody island, Washington, china