The United States is committing crimes by building military bases around China but instead is accusing the Asian power of militarization, an American writer and retired professor says.

James Petras, who has written dozens of books on international issues, made the comments in an interview with Press TV on Saturday while commenting on a statement by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Pompeo on Friday called on China to stop what Washington claims to be militarization of the disputed South China Sea.

“We have continued concerns about China's activities and militarization in the South China Sea,” Pompeo said. “We pressed China to live up to its past commitments in this area."

Beijing has repeatedly asserted its sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, which serves as a crossing for more that $5 trillion worth of maritime trade annually. The sea is also claimed in part by the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan.

“China has its transport routes in the areas which Pompeo accuses them of militarizing. The militarization is largely the US which has military bases surrounding China. China has no military bases surrounding any of US vital facilities,” Petras said.

“I think this is a ploy, turning the tables, accusing China of the crimes that’s the US is committing. I think it would be better for Pompeo to go to China and try to recognize and negotiate where the spheres of transnavigation are and instead of making wild accusations that have no substance and no practice,” he added.

“I think China’s purpose so far in the area is to finance infrastructure projects through the roads and transport system that they have set up,” he noted.

“I find this part of a US aggressive policy toward China, toward North Korea and toward the attempts by the countries in the region to negotiate a peaceful resolution of conflicts,” he said.

“So I think Pompeo should study geography and recognize what the realities are instead of concocting a military agenda to justify US aggression in the region,” the scholar concluded.