by Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News
In a visit to Singapore marked by meetings with defense officials from almost a dozen countries in the region, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III called the US a Pacific nation and stressed the overwhelming importance that Asia has.
Plus, he got in a good shot at Russia in a response to a Chinese army officer that was well-received by the audience at the Shangri-La Dialogue over the weekend.
Austin also met with his counterparts from Japan and South Korea, spoke with defense ministers from nine southeastern Asian countries and discussed ways to boost military industrial capacity.
“The US is a Pacific nation. And it’s because this region, more than any other, is shaping the course of this century,” Austin said. “Let me be clear. The United States can be secure only if Asia is secure,” Austin said. “That’s why the United States has long maintained our presence in this region. And that’s why we continue to make the investments necessary to meet our commitments to our allies and partners.”
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The US has been strengthening ties with its Pacific allies in order to counter the growing threat from China. Among them, the Pentagon is working with Japan to build a glide phase interceptor to defend against hypersonic weapons. It’s also co-producing fighter jet engines and armored vehicles with India, and working closer with Japan and South Korea to share early-warning data on North Korean missiles in real time.
“Together with our friends in the region, we’re breaking down national barriers and better integrating our defense industries,” Austin said.
Not surprisingly, Austin and China’s defense minister, Dong Jun, had completely different viewpoints on the issue of security in the Pacific.
Dong reiterated Beijing’s standard line that the issue of Taiwan is an internal matter and that it rejects foreign interference. “Anyone who dares to separate Taiwan from China is bound to be smashed to pieces and bring about their own ruin,” he said.
Without naming the US, Dong criticized Washington’s policy on Taiwan, saying that selling weapons to Taiwan and having other official ties to the island was sending “wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces and makes them more aggressive.”
Last month, China surrounded Taiwan during military drills that began just three days after the inauguration of Taiwan’s new president. Beijing called it a test of its ability to “seize power” over Taiwan.
