US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday criticized China for conducting risky aerial interceptions over the South China Sea and warned that dangerous behavior in the Indo-Pacific region would not deter Washington.
China conducts an “alarming number of dangerous interceptions of US and allied aircraft lawfully flying in international airspace,” Austin said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
His comments came days after the Pentagon released a video showing a Chinese fighter jet flying dangerously close to a US spy plane.
“We do not seek conflict or confrontation, but we will not relent in the face of bullying or coercion,” Austin said.
The annual Asian Security Forum hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies has often served as one of the few places where US defense secretaries meet their Chinese counterparts. But this year, China rejected Austin’s invitation for a meeting because the United States still imposed sanctions on Chinese Defense Minister Li Changfu.
On Friday, Austin attended a dinner at which Lee was present. The two men shook hands in their first interaction since Lee, who was speaking at the forum on Sunday, became defense minister in March.
In a speech stressing the US commitment to allies in the region, Austin indirectly called on China to reach out to the Pentagon.
For responsible defense leaders, the time to speak is any time, the time to speak is every time, and the time to speak is now. Dialogue is not a reward. Austin said.
When asked if the Pentagon has made any progress in trying to get nuclear arms control talks going with China, Austin replied, “You have to talk to them first, and as soon as they answer the phone, we might (talk).”
His comments come as the United States attempts to initiate high-level engagements with Chinese officials in a bid to stabilize relations. China has refused to give the green light to a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who canceled a trip to Beijing in February over an alleged Chinese spy balloon.
But the Financial Times reported on Friday that CIA Director Bill Burns made a secret trip to Beijing in May and met with Chinese intelligence officials. Two people familiar with the trip said that Burns was invited by China to visit.
In his speech, Austin said Washington and its allies had made “tremendous progress” toward ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region in what he hinted was a response to China.
“More and more, the countries of the Indo-Pacific have come together around a compelling vision of the future,” Austin said. “It is a vision of a region where all countries are free to thrive on their own terms – without coercion, intimidation or bullying.”
In another oblique reference to China amid concerns about possible military action against Taiwan, Austin said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “restored to people everywhere how dangerous our world could be if major nations could invade their peaceful neighbors with impunity.”
He said the United States is “doubling down” on its alliances and “stepping up planning, coordination and training with our friends from the East China Sea to the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean.”
Asked by the Financial Times whether the US was making progress in developing joint operational war plans with allies, especially Japan and Australia, for the Taiwan contingency, Austin declined to comment on specifics.
But he said it’s important to increase interoperability between the militaries and that while the Pentagon has done a lot, progress so far has “in no way been where any of us ultimately want it to be.”