Austin in Singapore – China Says Taiwan Backers Could be “Smashed to Pieces”

 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.