Defense Secretary to China: No Bullying06/03 08:15

   U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin vowed Saturday that Washington would 
not stand for any "coercion and bullying" of its allies and partners by China, 
while assuring Beijing that the United States remains committed to maintaining 
the status quo on Taiwan and would prefer dialogue over conflict.

   SINGAPORE (AP) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin vowed Saturday that 
Washington would not stand for any "coercion and bullying" of its allies and 
partners by China, while assuring Beijing that the United States remains 
committed to maintaining the status quo on Taiwan and would prefer dialogue 
over conflict.

   Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual forum bringing together top 
defense officials, diplomats and leaders in Singapore, Austin lobbied for 
support for Washington's vision of a "free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific 
within a world of rules and rights" as the best course to counter increasing 
Chinese assertiveness in the region.

   The U.S. has been expanding its own activities around the Indo-Pacific to 
counter sweeping territorial claims from China, including regularly sailing 
through and flying over the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea.

   "We are committed to ensuring that every country can fly, sail and operate 
wherever international law allows," he said at the forum hosted by the 
International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank. "And every country, 
large or small, must remain free to conduct lawful maritime activities."

   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.

   "We're doubling down on our alliances and partnerships," he said.

   He said the U.S. is also committed to deterring North Korea's missile threat 
and China's claims on Taiwan, a self-governing island democracy that Beijing 
says is its territory, and said Washington has been stepping up defense 
planning, coordination and training with partner nations in the region.

   "To be clear, we do not seek conflict or confrontation," he said. "But we 
will not flinch in the face of bullying or coercion."

   Underscoring Austin's words, a U.S. guided-missile destroyer and a Canadian 
frigate sailed Saturday through the Taiwan Strait, "waters where high-seas 
freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international 
law," the U.S. 7th Fleet said. There was no immediate word of a Chinese 
response.

   In Singapore, Chinese Lt. Gen. Jing Jianfeng, a senior member of the 
delegation accompanying Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu, accused Austin of 
"overtly or covertly making false accusations against China" in his address.

   Speaking with reporters after Austin spoke, Jing alleged the U.S. has been 
"deceiving and exploiting" Asia-Pacific nations to advance its own 
self-interests to preserve "its dominant position" in the region.

   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."

   Jing, who took no questions, said that by contrast, "China is committed to 
the region's development and prosperity."

   Austin sought to assure China that the U.S. remained "deeply committed" to 
the longstanding one-China policy, which recognizes Beijing as the government 
of China but allows informal relations with Taiwan, and continues to 
"categorically oppose unilateral changes to the status quo from either side."

   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."

   "Conflict is neither imminent nor inevitable," Austin said. "Deterrence is 
strong today -- and it's our job to keep it that way. The whole world has a 
stake in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

   But Jing accused the U.S. of hollowing out the one-China policy, accusing 
Washington of supporting Taiwanese separatists without citing any evidence, and 
reiterating Beijing's claim that "Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's 
sovereign territory."

   "There's no room for us to concede or compromise," he said.

   He added that "China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea 
islands and the adjacent waters."

   Li, who became China's defense minister in March, declined Austin's 
invitation to talk on the sidelines of the conference, though the two did shake 
hands before sitting down at opposite sides of the same table together as the 
forum opened Friday.

   Austin said this was not enough.

   "A cordial handshake over dinner is no substitute for a substantive 
engagement," he said.

   Li, who was named defense minister in March, is under American sanctions 
that are part of a broad package of measures against Russia -- but predate its 
invasion of Ukraine -- that were imposed in 2018 over Li's involvement in 
China's purchase of combat aircraft and anti-aircraft missiles from Moscow.

   The sanctions, which broadly prevent Li from doing business in the United 
States, do not prevent him from holding official talks, American defense 
officials have said.

   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.

   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.

   "For responsible defense leaders, the right time to talk is anytime," Austin 
said. "The right time to talk is every time. And the right time to talk is now."

   Jing said, however, that lines of communication needed to be based upon 
"mutual respect."

   "But the U.S. has been calling for communications on one hand and 
undermining China's interests and concerns on the other," he said.

   The U.S. has noted that since 2021 -- well before Li became defense minister 
-- China has declined or failed to respond to more than a dozen requests from 
the U.S. Defense Department to talk with senior leaders, as well as multiple 
requests for standing dialogues and working-level engagements.