The Pentagon has refused an invitation to meet with the U.S., China, and other superpowers at a defense summit in Singapore
The defense chiefs of the U.S., China, and several other countries will gather in Singapore for a defense summit.
The People’s Republic of China has declined an invitation from the U.S., the Pentagon said this week.
Li is under American sanctions because of his involvement in the purchase of combat aircraft and anti-aircraft missiles from Moscow, before the invasion ofUkraine, as part of a broad package of measures against Russia.
Hopes of better relations between the two superpowers have been hurt by the refusal. Last month, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan was able to meet his counterpart, China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, in Vienna. The two countries’ commerce chiefs held talks after the meeting.
Austin told the Japanese Defense Minister that it was unfortunate that China did not accept the American invitation for their chiefs to meet. He pointed to an incident late last month, in which a Chinese fighter jet allegedly buzzed an American aircraft flying over the South China Sea by cutting in front of it at close range, as reason for talks.
Southeast Asia: How Do the U.S. and China Become Part of the Asia-Pacific Region? An Analysis of Austin’s Asia Pacific Trip to Japan
“We would hope that they would alter their actions. But since they haven’t yet, I’m concerned about, at some point, having an incident that could very, very quickly spiral out of control,” Austin said.
On the eve of the security summit, the US and Taiwan signed a trade agreement that was at odds with Beijing’s protest of the island being part of China. The pact was signed by employees of unofficial entities that maintain relations with the island democracy.
Austin told reporters during his visit this week to Japan that they confirmed the importance of further cooperation between Japan and the United States, as well as with other countries in the region. Austin, the U.S. defense chief, is currently on his seventh tour of the Asia Pacific region.
Southeast Asia is maneuvering around how to portray themselves as part of the rivalry between the U.S. and China. The South China Sea, where China has staked out contested territorial claims at odds with overlapping claims from Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia, to name just a few, remains a hot button issue.
More than a quarter of the summit’s delegates hail from smaller Southeast Asian countries, as informal meetings between officials on the sideline of closed-door talks can be very useful for discussing foreign policy.
In Thailand, a surprise win by the opposition party during recent national elections could lead to an opening on a more aggressive foreign policy approach to supporting opposition forces in Myanmar, where the military seized power in a coup in 2021.
Taiwan and its dominance in semiconductor manufacturing – a critical tech sector at the heart of the U.S.-China rivalry – is also an issue of concern for Southeast Asia. Some businesses in the US and Taiwan are looking to shift their operations out of China.
The war in Ukraine, despite being a hemisphere away, will also be on the agenda. Most of the Southeast Asian countries chose to remain quiet about Russia’s invasion. A politician from Indonesia, Andi Widjajanto, is going to speak on a panel with a deputy defense chief from the Ukraine at the Singapore summit.
The U.S. has been scheming and exploiting Asia-Pacific nations to advance its own interests in order to maintain its dominance in the region, he told reporters.
He suggested that Washington has been holding on to alliances that are “remnants of the Cold War” and establishing new pacts, like the AUKUS agreement with Britain and Australia and the “Quad” grouping with Australia, India and Japan “to divide the world into ideologically-driven camps and provoke confrontation.”
Austin tried to assure China that the U.S. is still committed to the longstanding one-China policy, which sees Beijing as the government of China but allows informal relations with Taiwan.
The United States as a Strategic Strategic Partner in the Security and Security of the Asian Sea, as outlined in the Opening Conference at the Cologne Forum on Science and Technology
He added that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had served to underline how dangerous the world would be if big countries were able to “just invade their peaceful neighbors with impunity.”
Austin said that conflict is neither imminent nor inevitable. Today’s deterrent is strong, so we need to keep it that way. The Taiwan Strait has a stake for the whole world.
It was not clear whether Li, who is to address the forum Sunday morning, was in the room while Austin talked. He did join the American defense secretary and others later for a ministerial roundtable.
American defense officials say that the sanctions prevented Li from doing business in the United States but did not prevent him from holding official talks.
Austin reiterated calls that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made in his opening address at the forum for China to engage in regular, direct communications to help prevent any possible conflict.
Austin said that the right time to talk is anytime for responsible defense leaders. “The right time to talk is every time. The right time to talk is now.
The U.S. is committed to defusing conflicts in the Asian area, including North Korea’s missile threat and China’s claims on Taiwan, as well as training and coordination with partner nations.
Austin noted that the U.S. had provided millions of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine during the height of the pandemic and is regularly involved in disaster relief and humanitarian assistance efforts in the region. He said it is working to combat climate change, illegal fishing and ensure that supply chains do not suffer disruptions — ticking off many issues of importance to Asian-Pacific nations.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/06/03/1179975236/defense-secretary-austin-us-china
A Free, Open, and Secure Inda-Pacific Within a World of Rules and Rights: An Address to the General Assembly of the U.S. on the Taiwan Strait
He said at a forum that he was committed to making sure that each country can fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows. Every country is free to conduct lawful maritime activities.
The U.S. expanded its own activities around the region to counter sweeping territorial claims from China, such as sailing through and flying over the Taiwan Strait.
Speaking at the annual forum that brings together top defense officials, diplomats and leaders, Austin sought support for the US’s vision of a “free, open, and secure Inda-Pacific within a world of rules and rights.”