SINGAPORE: China’s defense minister warned against setting up on Sunday military alliance like nato In Asia Pacificadding that they would plunge the region into a “vortex” of conflict.
Li Shangfu’s comments came a day after US and Chinese military ships came close to each other in the Taiwan Strait, an incident that sparked anger from both sides.
“Attempting to push for a NATO-like (alliance) in the Asia-Pacific region is a way of hijacking regional countries and exaggerating conflicts and conflicts,” Lee told a security conference in Singapore. Lloyd Austin,
Li said that these alliances would “plunge the Asia-Pacific into a vortex of disputes and conflicts”.
Li did not name any countries, but his comments echoed long-standing Chinese criticism of the United States seeking to strengthen alliances in the region.
The United States is a member of the AUKUS coalition, which groups it with Australia and Britain.
Washington is also a member of the QUAD grouping, which includes Australia, India and Japan.
“Today’s Asia-Pacific needs open and inclusive cooperation, not joining small groups,” Li said at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit.
“We must not forget the grave calamities brought by the two world wars to the people of all countries, and we must not allow such a sad history to be repeated.”
Austin called for top-level defense talks with Beijing on Saturday to prevent miscalculations that could draw the two superpowers into conflict.
“The more we talk, the more we can avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations that can lead to crisis or conflict,” Austin said.
Austin and Lee shook hands and spoke briefly for the first time at the opening dinner on Friday, but there was no actual exchange.
The United States invited Li to meet with Austin on the sidelines of the summit, but the Pentagon said Beijing declined.
A member of the Chinese delegation told AFP that lifting US sanctions on its minister was a precondition for talks.
There have been some signs of improvement in the talks between the two countries.
CIA director William Burns made a secret trip to China last month, a US official announced on Friday.
And Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Krittenbrink will travel to China on Sunday for a rare visit.
However, the US and Chinese military have also been involved in dangerous face-offs in the two most sensitive areas of the region – the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
US and Canadian warships passed through the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, the waterway that separates self-ruled Taiwan from China.
The United States accused a Chinese navy ship of sailing in an “unsafe manner” near the American vessel, the destroyer Chung-hoon.
China claims Taiwan as its territory – vowing to one day take it if necessary – and has increased military and political pressure on the island in recent years.
The US military said last week there were “unnecessarily aggressive manoeuvres” by one of Beijing’s fighter jets near one of Washington’s surveillance planes in the South China Sea after the Taiwan Strait clash.
Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder, who is traveling with Lee to Austin after the speech, said, “We are concerned about the PLA’s increasingly risky and coercive activities in the region, including in recent days.”
A senior US defense official also told reporters: “Actions speak louder than words, and the dangerous behavior we’ve seen from the PLA in the South and East China Seas really says it all.”
In his speech on Saturday, Lloyd outlined Washington’s broader partnership in the region, which he calls the Indo-Pacific, and talks with his counterparts from allies and partners.
“America’s partnership is bringing us together to help keep this region free, open and secure,” he said.
Li Shangfu’s comments came a day after US and Chinese military ships came close to each other in the Taiwan Strait, an incident that sparked anger from both sides.
“Attempting to push for a NATO-like (alliance) in the Asia-Pacific region is a way of hijacking regional countries and exaggerating conflicts and conflicts,” Lee told a security conference in Singapore. Lloyd Austin,
Li said that these alliances would “plunge the Asia-Pacific into a vortex of disputes and conflicts”.
Li did not name any countries, but his comments echoed long-standing Chinese criticism of the United States seeking to strengthen alliances in the region.
The United States is a member of the AUKUS coalition, which groups it with Australia and Britain.
Washington is also a member of the QUAD grouping, which includes Australia, India and Japan.
“Today’s Asia-Pacific needs open and inclusive cooperation, not joining small groups,” Li said at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit.
“We must not forget the grave calamities brought by the two world wars to the people of all countries, and we must not allow such a sad history to be repeated.”
Austin called for top-level defense talks with Beijing on Saturday to prevent miscalculations that could draw the two superpowers into conflict.
“The more we talk, the more we can avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations that can lead to crisis or conflict,” Austin said.
Austin and Lee shook hands and spoke briefly for the first time at the opening dinner on Friday, but there was no actual exchange.
The United States invited Li to meet with Austin on the sidelines of the summit, but the Pentagon said Beijing declined.
A member of the Chinese delegation told AFP that lifting US sanctions on its minister was a precondition for talks.
There have been some signs of improvement in the talks between the two countries.
CIA director William Burns made a secret trip to China last month, a US official announced on Friday.
And Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Krittenbrink will travel to China on Sunday for a rare visit.
However, the US and Chinese military have also been involved in dangerous face-offs in the two most sensitive areas of the region – the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
US and Canadian warships passed through the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, the waterway that separates self-ruled Taiwan from China.
The United States accused a Chinese navy ship of sailing in an “unsafe manner” near the American vessel, the destroyer Chung-hoon.
China claims Taiwan as its territory – vowing to one day take it if necessary – and has increased military and political pressure on the island in recent years.
The US military said last week there were “unnecessarily aggressive manoeuvres” by one of Beijing’s fighter jets near one of Washington’s surveillance planes in the South China Sea after the Taiwan Strait clash.
Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder, who is traveling with Lee to Austin after the speech, said, “We are concerned about the PLA’s increasingly risky and coercive activities in the region, including in recent days.”
A senior US defense official also told reporters: “Actions speak louder than words, and the dangerous behavior we’ve seen from the PLA in the South and East China Seas really says it all.”
In his speech on Saturday, Lloyd outlined Washington’s broader partnership in the region, which he calls the Indo-Pacific, and talks with his counterparts from allies and partners.
“America’s partnership is bringing us together to help keep this region free, open and secure,” he said.