Speaking at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue defense forum in Singapore, Austin said China was engaging in provocative behavior across the Indo-Pacific region, ranging from dangerous naval and air maneuvers to increasingly strong military activity around Taiwan. “We are witnessing a steady increase in provocative and destabilizing military activity near Taiwan,” Austin said on Saturday. “This includes PLA aircraft flying near Taiwan in record numbers in recent months. Addressing an audience that included General Wei Feng, China’s defense minister, Austin said there had been a “worrying increase” in unsafe air intercepts and sea confrontations by Chinese warships and aircraft. Austin referred to recent incidents in which Chinese Air Force fighter jets carried out “dangerous interceptions” in the South China Sea and in the East China Sea of ​​US allied aircraft – in a report on Australia and. Speaking weeks after President Joe Biden told Tokyo that the United States would intervene militarily to defend Taiwan from any Chinese attack, Austin said Washington would abide by the Taiwan Relations Act, ensuring that Taiwan maintains its ability to defend itself. . “And it means maintaining our ability to resist any use of force or other forms of coercion that would endanger the security or social or economic system of the Taiwanese people,” he added. Austin stressed that US policy toward Taiwan has not changed and that the government remains opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo in the Taiwan Straits – from Taipei or Beijing. His comments came as US officials became increasingly concerned about the Chinese threat to Taiwan, in which China is claiming sovereignty. Austin used his speech to underscore the Biden administration’s efforts to strengthen cooperation with allies, including the Quad – a security group comprising the United States, Japan, Australia and India – and the agreed Aukus security pact. the US, the UK and Australia lately. year. Paul Haenle, director of Carnegie China, a think tank, said Austin’s speech had “struck the right balance”, noting that the US Secretary of Defense’s policy towards Taiwan had not changed. elements of this policy help Taiwan maintain an adequate self-defense capability and maintain a strong U.S. capability to resist any Chinese use of force. “ Austin spoke a day after his meeting with Wei, the first high-level meeting between the military since Biden took office. Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe in the center, ahead of a meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Forum on Saturday © Caroline Chia / Reuters Despite giving a positive tone to the meeting between the defense chiefs, China launched a formidable response to Austin’s speech. “The US has already confused Europe and the Middle East, do they now want to confuse Asia as well? We will not allow it at all, “said Lt. Gen. Zhang Zhenzhong, deputy chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of China’s Central Military Commission. In what the Chinese delegation called Beijing’s official response to Austin, Zhang rejected the US Secretary of Defense’s commitment that Washington does not seek a new Cold War, an Asian NATO or a region divided into enemy blocs. “Their words do not match their actions,” Zhang said. “The real intention of the United States is to use it to maintain its hegemonic system. “They are trying to create small circles by making rope in some countries.” He added that the US strategy in the Indo-Pacific was a strategy of geopolitical rivalry and bloc competition. Pointing to the Global Security Initiative, another vague concept of security proposed by President Xi Jinping in April, Zhang said China is a “persistent contributor and a staunch supporter of regional peace” and a provider of public goods, as opposed to the United States. . which he called the “greatest source of instability” and the “backstage operator”. Zhang also warned Washington of further support for Taiwan. The United States has “severely undermined and undermined” its commitment to adhere to China’s policy, he said, noting Washington’s approval Wednesday to sell $ 120 million worth of warship spare parts to Taipei. The US steps taken last year reminded that Taiwan was the issue with the greatest potential to lead geopolitical rivals into conflict, Zhang said, adding: “This is extremely dangerous.”

Wei is scheduled to speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Sunday morning. Lt. Gen. Guo Ruobing, commander of the National Security College at National Defense University, vehemently rejected Austin’s criticism of the Chinese interceptions of Australian and Canadian military aircraft. “They are the ones who are disturbing the stability,” he said, adding that “the United States always says one thing but does another.” Washington has repeatedly rejected this Chinese criticism, pointing out that its aircraft are flying in international airspace. Austin outlined three areas in which the United States worked more closely with allies, including exchanging research and development to ensure they had the potential to deter aggression and intensify exercise and training. He added that the US Coast Guard was stepping up its presence in the Indo-Pacific, a change evident from the fact that Admiral Linda Fagan was the first Coast Guard commander to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue. Follow Demetri Sevastopulo and Kathrin Hille on Twitter