Beijing rebukes ‘Nato-like’ alliances
Conflict in Asia and Pacific if US persists
BEIJING: China’s defence minister warned yesterday against establishing Nato-like military alliances in the Asia-Pacific, saying they would plunge the region into a “whirlpool” of conflict.
Li Shangfu’s comments came a day after US and Chinese military vessels sailed close to each other in the flashpoint Taiwan Strait, an incident that provoked anger from both sides.
“Attempts to push for Nato-like (alliances) in the Asia-Pacific is a way of kidnapping regional countries and exaggerating conflicts and confrontations,” Mr Li told a security conference in Singapore also attended by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Mr Li warned that these alliances would “plunge the Asia-Pacific into a whirlpool of disputes and conflicts”.
Mr Li’s comments echoed longheld Chinese criticism of the United States’ efforts to shore up alliances in the region and counter China’s rise.
The United States is a member of AUKUS, which groups it with Australia and Britain.
Washington is also a member of the QUAD group, which includes Australia, India and Japan.
“Today’s Asia-Pacific needs open and inclusive cooperation, not buddying up into small cliques,” Mr Li said at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit.
Mr Li sought to paint the United States as the trigger of regional instability, and China as seeking to ease tensions.
“It cannot be denied that if a fierce conflict or confrontation occurs between China and the United States, it would bring unbearable pain for the world,” he said.
MISCALCULATIONS
On Saturday, Mr Austin called for toplevel defence talks with Beijing to prevent miscalculations.
“The more that we talk, the more that we can avoid the misunderstandings and miscalculations that could lead to crisis or conflict,” Mr Austin said.
Mr Li told the Singapore audience yesterday that the onus was on the United States to pull its military presence away from areas near China.
“Our Chinese military aircraft and warships won’t ever go near the airspace and territorial waters of other countries to engage in so-called navigational hegemony,” Mr Li said.
“The best thing would be if all countries, and especially their warplanes and warships, refrained from wandering through other country’s territorial airspace and waters. What are you hanging around here for?”
Mr Austin and Mr Li shook hands and spoke briefly at the Singapore event’s opening dinner on Friday, but there was no substantive exchange.
The United States had invited Mr Li to meet with Mr Austin on the sidelines of the conference, but China declined.
A senior US defense official told journalists yesterday that the US had also offered lower level meetings but that China didn’t respond. A member of China’s delegation told AFP that the removal of US sanctions on Mr Li was a precondition for talks.