“The PRC’s strikes threaten to undermine safety, and stability, and prosperity within the Indo-Pacific,” Austin stated, utilizing the acronym to discuss with the nation by its official title, the People’s Republic of China.
He listed a collection of areas the place he stated China is muscling its neighbors, together with sending massive numbers of warplanes into the skies close to Taiwan, dangerously intercepting the patrol planes of US allies, and unlawful fishing operations that “plunder the area’s provisions.”
Taiwan performed a key position in Austin’s tackle, because it did throughout a bilateral assembly between Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe on Friday night.
During that assembly, each side accused the opposite of attempting to vary the decades-long established order over the self-governed island of Taiwan.
Austin on Saturday denied any such motion from Washington.
“We’re decided to uphold the established order that has served this area so properly for therefore lengthy,” he stated. Under the “One China” coverage, the US acknowledges China’s place that Taiwan is a part of China, however has by no means formally acknowledged Beijing’s declare to the democratic island of 23 million.
But Austin stated China was working in another way.
“We’ve witnessed a gentle enhance in provocative and destabilizing army exercise close to Taiwan. That contains PLA plane flying close to Taiwan in document numbers in current months — and on an almost day by day foundation,” he stated, referring to flights of Chinese warplanes into Taiwan’s air protection identification zone.
China later Saturday known as Austin’s speech a “confrontation.”
“There had been many unfounded accusations towards China, and we expressed our robust dissatisfaction and agency opposition to those false accusations,” Lt. Gen. Zhang Zhenzhong, deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department of China’s Central Military Commission, instructed reporters.
Zhang accused the US of not abiding by the promise to not help “Taiwan Independence,” saying the US is “clearly inconsistent in its phrases and deeds.”
On Friday, China had accused Washington of threatening the established order over the island with issues like arms gross sales, one thing Beijing says “has significantly undermined China’s sovereignty and safety pursuits.”
In his assembly with Austin, Wei reiterated China’s longstanding place that it was ready to go to struggle if Taiwan declares independence from the mainland.
“Defense Minister Wei Fenghe emphasised that if anybody dares to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese army will spare no effort to battle a struggle and shatter any ‘Taiwan independence’ makes an attempt at any value, and resolutely safeguard nationwide sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Wu Qian, a spokesperson for China’s Defense Ministry stated at a information convention following the assembly.
Austin stated Saturday the US doesn’t need struggle within the area.
“We don’t search confrontation or battle. And we don’t search a brand new Cold War, an Asian NATO, or a area break up into hostile blocs,” he stated.
But Austin stated Washington was unflinching in its help for allies and companions.
And his accusations towards China on Saturday went properly past Taiwan.
“In the East China Sea, (China’s) increasing fishing fleet is sparking tensions with its neighbors. In the South China Sea, (China) is utilizing outposts on man-made islands bristling with superior weaponry to advance its unlawful maritime claims,” Austin stated.
“We’re seeing (Chinese) vessels plunder the area’s provisions, working illegally throughout the territorial waters of different Indo-Pacific international locations. And additional to the west, we’re seeing Beijing proceed to harden its place alongside the border that it shares with India.”
‘Ukraine right this moment could also be East Asia tomorrow’
Earlier in his tackle, Austin pointed to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for instance of the “turmoil” that may ensue when nations veer from worldwide legal guidelines.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is what occurs when oppressors trample the foundations that defend us all,” he stated. “It’s what occurs when massive powers resolve that their imperial appetites matter greater than the rights of their peaceable neighbors. And it is a preview of a attainable world of chaos and turmoil that none of us would need to reside in.”
How a struggle a continent away can have an effect on Pacific safety was additionally delivered to the forefront of the dialogue on Friday evening by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in a keynote speech at Shangri-La.
“Ukraine right this moment could also be East Asia tomorrow,” Kishida stated, including that to make sure its safety Tokyo can be considerably growing its protection funds.
“We won’t rule out any choices, together with so-called ‘counterstrike capabilities,’ and can realistically take into account what is critical to guard the lives and livelihoods of our individuals,” he stated.
Austin on Saturday famous the larger roles that Japan and different allies are taking part in in US Pacific insurance policies, itemizing a collection of joint army workout routines through which they’ve participated.
Another of these companions is India, which together with Japan and Australia is a member of the casual Quad alliance.
“We’re additionally weaving nearer ties with different companions,” Austin stated. “I’m particularly pondering of India, the world’s largest democracy. We imagine that its rising army functionality and technological prowess is usually a stabilizing drive within the area.”
In a key transfer in Oceania, the place China as been making a push to make new safety and financial agreements with small island states, Austin stated Washington was making “unprecedented” US Coast Guard investments.
That will embody for the primary time completely stationing a Coast Guard cutter within the area for the primary time, he stated.
Zhang, the Chinese army official, stated later Saturday that the US technique within the Indo-Pacific is to “preserve its hegemony.”
“The United States is attempting to kind a small circle within the Asia-Pacific area by roping in some international locations to incite towards another international locations,” Zhang stated, accusing the US of attempting to “push the Indo-Pacific area into the entice of geopolitical video games and camp confrontation.”
Austin stated earlier the Biden administration was ready to step as much as be a pacesetter in and a guarantor of the free and open Indo-Pacific it espouses.
“Big powers carry massive obligations,” Austin stated. “And so we’ll do our half to handle these tensions responsibly, to stop battle, and to pursue peace and prosperity.”
CNN’s Yong Xiong in Seoul contributed to this report.