US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday hailed the arrival of a \u201cnew convergence\u201d in the Indo-Pacific, as the United States fortifies strategic and security partnerships in the region amid rising threats from China and Russia. <\/p>\n
\u201cToday, we are witnessing a new convergence around nearly all aspects of security in the Indo-Pacific,\u201d Austin said at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis new convergence is producing a stronger, more resilient, and more capable network of partnerships. And that is defining a new era of security in the Indo-Pacific.\u201d <\/p>\n
The new convergence is not \u201ca single alliance or coalition,\u201d but instead \u201ca set of overlapping and complementary initiatives and institutions, propelled by both a shared vision and a shared sense of mutual obligation,\u201d Austin said. <\/p>\n
Looming large in that regional vision is a more assertive China, which Austin alluded to without mentioning it by name. <\/p>\n
The convergence, he said, is not about \u201cimposing one country\u2019s will\u201d or \u201cbullying or coercion,\u201d but common principles and beliefs including \u201cthe peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue \u2013 not coercion or conflict. And certainly not through so-called punishment.\u201d <\/p>\n
The remark appeared to be a thinly veiled reference to China\u2019s military drills around Taiwan last week, which Beijing said was a \u201cstrong punishment\u201d for the self-ruled island\u2019s \u201cseparatist acts.\u201d The massive show of force came just days after Taiwan swore in its new democratically elected leader Lai Ching-te, who called on Beijing to cease its intimidation tactics. <\/p>\n
Austin said the new convergence helped the US make \u201chistoric progress\u201d in the past three years. \u201cWe\u2019ve strengthened stability on the Korean Peninsula. We\u2019ve supported the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. And we\u2019ve stood up for the rule of law in the South China Sea,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Under President Joe Biden, the US has bolstered ties with allies and like-minded partners in the Asia-Pacific region to counter a rising China, which under leader Xi Jinping has become increasingly assertive and belligerent about its many maritime and territorial claims in the region \u2013 from Taiwan to the East and South China Seas. <\/p>\n
That bolstering of US ties has infuriated Beijing, which accuses Washington of leading a campaign of \u201cencirclement and suppression\u201d of China. <\/p>\n
Austin\u2019s emphasis on a \u201cnew convergence\u201d in Asia-Pacific appeared to have struck a raw nerve with the Chinese delegation in the audience. <\/p>\n
In the Q&A session, a Chinese colonel asked Austin whether the US is planning to build a NATO-like alliance system in the Asia-Pacific region, and blamed NATO for the Ukraine war. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe eastern border expansion of NATO has led to the Ukraine crisis. What implications do you think the straightening of the US alliances system in the Asia-Pacific will have on this region\u2019s security and stability?\u201d asked Cao Yanzhong, a senior colonel and researcher at the Institute of War Studies of the Academy of Military Sciences of the Chinese military. <\/p>\n
\u201cI respectfully disagree with your point that the expansion of NATO caused the Ukraine crisis,\u201d Austin replied, drawing a rare round of applause from the audience. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Ukraine crisis obviously was caused because (Russian President) Mr (Vladimir) Putin made a decision to unlawfully invade his neighbor.\u201d <\/p>\n
The exchange came a day after Austin held his first face-to-face talks with China\u2019s Minister of National Defense Adm. Dong Jun on the sidelines of the defense forum. <\/p>\n
The rare talks between the US and Chinese defense chiefs touched on a host of fractious issues including Taiwan and China\u2019s relationship with Russia, as well as frictions in the South China Sea. <\/p>\n
On Saturday, Austin mentioned the meeting with Dong in his speech, saying they had a \u201cfrank discussion.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no substitute for direct military-to-military talks between senior leaders. And there\u2019s no substitute for open lines of communication to avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations,\u201d he said, adding that he looked forward to more talks with China. <\/p>\n
Austin also reiterated US commitment to its defense treaty with the Philippines, calling it \u201cironclad.\u201d <\/p>\n
Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr on Friday denounced illegal, coercive and aggressive actions in the South China Sea at the opening of the defense forum, saying peace, stability and prosperity in the waters was being undermined by other actors, without naming China. <\/p>\n
Austin also reaffirmed US commitment to the Asia-Pacific region, saying peace and stability across the region are crucial for the whole world. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe United States can be secure only if Asia is secure. That\u2019s why the United States has long maintained our presence in this region. And that\u2019s why we continue to make the investments necessary to meet our commitments to our allies and partners,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Hours after Austin reaffirmed America\u2019s commitment to the Indo-Pacific, a Chinese military spokesman accused the United States of \u201ccreating division and provoking confrontation.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThe US keeps creating chaos and has become the source of risks, as well as the destroyer to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region,\u201d Jing Jianfeng, Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff Department at China\u2019s Central Military Commission, told a group of reporters in Singapore. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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