A cold war mindset is resurfacing in the Asia-Pacific, according to China’s defence minister, Li Shangfu. Li made the comments after turning down an official meeting with Lloyd Austin, the US defence secretary, at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. Li accused “some countries” of escalating an arms race and meddling in the domestic affairs of other countries.
Li has been subject to US sanctions since 2018 when he bought combat planes and other equipment from Rosoboron export, Russia’s biggest arms exporter. His speech in Singapore was his first important speech delivered outside of the country since being appointed defence minister in March.
Issue of Taiwan
The general warned the participants in the dialogue that China would not put up with any attempts to secede Taiwan from China by either internal or external forces.
Taiwan is a self-governing island that values its independence and claims it was never governed by the Communist party of China. Xi Jinping, the president of China, has stated that he wants to use force if necessary to bring Taiwan back to the Chinese mainland.
Austin criticized China in his own speech on Saturday for keeping the superpowers at loggerheads over Taiwan’s democratically elected government and territorial disputes in the South China Sea by refusing to undertake military consultations.
Tensions between China and the US
The South China Sea, Taiwan, and President Joe Biden’s export limits on semiconductor chip are just a few of the topics causing tension between Washington and Beijing.
On Sunday, a high-ranking US State Department delegation landed in Beijing as Washington tries to improve relations with China. The state department stated that Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for east Asia and the Pacific, would talk about “key issues in the bilateral relationship” during his visit. Sarah Beran, the senior director for China and Taiwan on the White House National Security Council, was accompanying Kritenbrink.
At the Singapore Summit, Li without mentioning the US but referring to it, said that the attempts to build a NATO like alliance in the Asia Pacific is a way to create conflicts and confrontations in the region as US will plunge the Asia-Pacific into conflicts and disputes.
By budding up into small cliques, he said, the Asia Pacific region will not be open to inclusive cooperation which is the need of the hour. He reminded the countries of the disaster which the two world wars brought to all its allies and that such tragedy should not be repeated.
Li did not specifically mention any nation, but it was clear that he was alluding to the US, which has been strengthening its regional connections and partnerships. The United States is a part of the Aukus alliance, which also includes Australia and the United Kingdom. The Quad is an alliance of Australia, Japan, India, and Washington.
Despite repeated US demands for expanded military exchanges, Li shook hands with Austin at a dinner on Friday, but the two have not had a more in-depth conversation.
Two Chinese military personnel claimed that before military-to-military discussions could restart, Beijing needed concrete indications from Washington of a less combative strategy in Asia, including the lifting of sanctions against Li.
