Malaysia's Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters on Monday that he will hold meeting with Australia's Defence Minister next week to discuss China's military buildup in the South China Sea.          

We want to ensure efforts are made to "hold China to their promise of not placing military assets in the area", Hussein said as he set forth the agenda of next week's meeting.

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"If the reports we've received from various sources regarding the buildup and placement of military assets in the Spratlys are true - this forces us in a pushback against China," he told the media.

Malaysia's Defence Minister stated that he also plans to meet officials in Vietnam and the Philippines and called for support from other ASEAN countries, adding that Malaysia "cannot act alone in stopping the aggressive actions."

"We need the support of other ASEAN countries, and I will continue to (seek that support)," Hussein said. "This is important for us to maintain balance, and to curb the actions by superpowers, whether it is China or the United States."

Hussein's statement comes just weeks after reports emerged that China has placed missiles and fighter jets on Woody Island. Following the report, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia and other neighboring countries with competing claims in South China Sea region accused China of militarizing the region.              

The U.S. also accused China of backtracking from its commitment of 'not militarizing South China Sea region.' Washington responded by sending several ships and aircrafts to patrol the region.     

Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who paid a official visit to Beijing last month, also expressed displeasure over China's recent military buildup in the contested maritime territory.

Australia and New Zealand have issued a stern warning to China that soaring tensions in the South China Sea threatened peace and prosperity in Asia-Pacific region.   

Unperturbed by these actions and accusations, last week China announced that it will start civilian flight operation to the South China Sea within a year. A move that expectedly drew sharp criticism from Washington and other claimants.       

On Sunday, China made another big announcement relating to South China Sea. The country's Chief Justice announced that China plans to setup an 'international maritime judicial center' to protect country's national sovereignty. The announcement came just days after Beijing firmly refused to participate in an arbitration case filed by Philippines in Hague court to settle conflicting maritime claims in South China Sea.

Several foreign policy experts claim that China's recent assertive actions in South China Sea is aimed more at domestic consumption. Experts say that Beijing is under tremendous public pressure to respond to America's 'freedom of navigation' operation.

The energy rich South China Sea is the site of one of the most contentious territorial disputes in the world.

The region has proven oil reserves of 7.7 billion barrels and is also home to vast amount of marine biodiversity. The South China Sea's importance is equally huge in terms of trade, as world's one third of trading ships sail through its water.        

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