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ASIA-SECURITY-DEFENCE WRAP
US warns China on behaviour towards its Asian neighbours
SINGAPORE, June 1, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – The United States warned China on
Saturday against threatening its neighbours’ sovereignty and said Washington
is investing in new military technology to defend its Asian allies.
Washington and Beijing have been vying for influence in the region, which
hosts potential flashpoints such as the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula
and the Taiwan Strait.
Ties between the two powers are once again taking centre stage at the
weekend Singapore conference known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, which gathers
defence ministers and top military officials from around the world.
While the forum is purely on security, the discussions are being held
against a backdrop of Sino-US trade tensions and high-tech rivalry.
“China can and should have a cooperative relationship with the rest of the
region … But behaviour that erodes other nations’ sovereignty and sows
distrust of China’s intentions must end,” acting US Secretary of Defense
Patrick Shanahan told the forum.
“Until it does, we stand against a myopic, narrow, and parochial vision of
the future, and we stand for the free and open order that has benefitted us
all, including China.”
– No ‘fait accompli’ –
Washington has been pushing back against Beijing’s aggressive
militarisation of the South China Sea, where China has staked “indisputable”
ownership over almost the whole area and rejects partial claims by Taiwan,
Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Beijing is also regularly angered by US and other warships transiting
through the Taiwan Strait, which it considers part of its territorial waters.
A French warship entered the Strait in April, prompting a warning from
China’s navy.
On Saturday, French minister of the armed forces Florence Parly said her
country’s forces will not be forced from the region.
“We will continue to sail more than twice a year in the South China Sea.
There will be objections, there will be dubious maneuvers at sea. But we will
not be intimidated into accepting any fait accompli,” she told the forum.
For the first time since 2011, China has sent its defence minister,
General Wei Fenghe, to the Singapore gathering. Wei is scheduled to speak
Sunday, when he is expected to respond to Shanahan’s remarks.
The Sino-US rivalry has placed many Asian countries in a bind as they have
deep military ties with Washington but enjoy strong trade relations with
Beijing.
“The uncertain relationship between the US and China will remain as an
explicit factor in shaping the stability of the Asia-Pacific region
particularly that of Southeast Asian countries,” Malaysian Defence Minister
Mohamad Sabu told the conference Saturday.
“If anything happens in the South China Sea, the world also will suffer.
We have to increase our defence diplomacy. We love America, we also love
China.”
– ‘Indo-Pacific is our priority’ –
Shanahan said the United States was investing heavily in new military
technology to combat fresh threats and maintain its superiority and
capability to defend its Asian allies.
He said North Korea “remains an extraordinary threat and requires
continued vigilance” and stressed Washington would continue to meet its
defence obligations to Taiwan, which China sees as part of its territory to
be reunified.
“The Indo-Pacific is our priority theatre. We are where we belong. We are
investing in the region,” he said, adding that military investments will rise
significantly over the next five years.
“We want to ensure no adversary believes it can successfully achieve
political objectives through military force,” Shanahan said.
Shao Yuanming, deputy chief of the joint staff department of China’s
Central Military Commission, on Saturday welcomed US efforts to stabilise
military ties, but slammed what he said were “erroneous remarks” by Shanahan
on the South China Sea and Taiwan.
“From the very beginning, Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” he
said.
“China must be unified… If anyone wants to split Taiwan from China, the
Chinese army will resolutely defend our motherland at all costs.”
The two sides have been ruled separately since the end of a civil war on
the mainland in 1949 but China still sees Taiwan as part of its territory to
be reunified.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1640 hrs