After meeting with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the Shangri-La in Singapore, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin used his speech at the conference to, among other things, denounce China as the most aggressive power in that part of the world. Upholding the “rules based international order” and standing by “our friends” in the region are “especially important as the P.R.C. adopts a more coercive and aggressive approach to its territorial claims,” Austin said. “In the East China Sea, the P.R.C.’s expanding fishing fleet is sparking tensions with its neighbors. In the South China Sea, the P.R.C. is using outposts on man-made islands bristling with advanced weaponry to advance its illegal maritime claims. We’re seeing P.R.C. vessels plunder the region’s provisions, operating illegally within the territorial waters of other Indo-Pacific countries. And further to the west, we see Beijing continue to harden its position along the border that it shares with India.”
Austin claimed that the U.S. remains committed to the One China policy and opposes Taiwan independence, but added that “we stand firmly behind the principle that cross-strait differences must be resolved by peaceful means…. Now, as a part of our one-China policy, we will continue to fulfill our commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act. That includes assisting Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability. And it means maintaining our own capacity to resist any use of force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security or the social or economic system of the people of Taiwan.” (Emphasis added) This is virtually a confirmation that the U.S. is planning to use its own forces in any military conflict between China and its Taiwan province.
Austin then blames any such conflict on China. “So our policy hasn’t changed. But unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be true for the P.R.C.,” he droned on. “[W]e see growing coercion from Beijing. We’ve witnessed a steady increase in provocative and destabilizing military activity near Taiwan. And that includes PLA aircraft flying near Taiwan in record numbers in recent months—and nearly on a daily basis.”
“We remain focused on maintaining peace, stability, and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. But the P.R.C.’s moves threaten to undermine security, and stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. And that’s crucial for this region, and it’s crucial for the wider world,” Austin claimed further. “Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait isn’t just a U.S. interest. It’s a matter of international concern.”
“We do not seek confrontation or conflict. And we do not seek a new Cold War, an Asian NATO, or a region split into hostile blocs,” he said. “We will defend our interests without flinching. But we’ll also work toward our vision for this region—one of expanding security, one of increased cooperation, and not one of growing division.”
Lt. Gen. Zhang Zhenzhong, a senior Chinese military officer, called Austin’s speech a “confrontation,” reported Reuters. “There were many unfounded accusations against China. We expressed our strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to these false accusations,” Zhang, vice chief of the joint staff department of China’s Central Military Commission, told reporters. “The United States is trying to form a small circle in the Asia-Pacific region by roping in some countries to incite against some other countries. What should we call this other than confrontation?”
