War with China is neither imminent nor inevitable, says US Defense Secretary Austin – Firstpost

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin addressed top security officials on Saturday, insisting that war with China is neither imminent nor inevitable despite rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific region. He stressed the need for renewed dialogue between him and his Chinese counterpart to avoid “miscalculations and misunderstandings.”

Austin made the comments at the Shangri-La defense forum in Singapore, a day after a more than hour-long meeting with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun. The meeting was the first face-to-face discussion between top defense officials since military contacts between the US and China were separated in 2022 after then US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which had angered Beijing .

Both sides maintained their established positions on Taiwan, which China claims and has not excluded, and on China’s extensive claims in the South China Sea, which have led to direct confrontations with other regional countries, especially the Philippines. Austin did not reveal details of their conversation but emphasized the importance of resuming dialogue.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized the high stakes involved in a speech at the same forum on Friday evening. He stated that if a Filipino were killed during confrontations with China over claims to the South China Sea, it would be “very, very close to what we define as an act of war and therefore we will respond accordingly.”

Marcos added that he assumed the Philippines’ treaty partners, including the U.S., “apply the same standard.”

In his own speech, Austin praised how Marcos “spoke so forcefully last night about how the Philippines is standing up for its sovereign rights under international law.” But when pressed later, he would not say how the US would respond if a Filipino were killed in a confrontation with China, calling it hypothetical.

He did say that the US commitment to the Philippines as a treaty partner is “iron-strong,” while reiterating the importance of dialogue with China.

“There are a number of things that can happen at sea or in the air, we recognize that,” he said. “But our goal is to ensure that things do not get out of hand unnecessarily.”

Beijing has rapidly expanded its navy in recent years and is becoming increasingly assertive in asserting its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, posing a security risk to many countries.

Noting that in addition to Philippine ships being rammed and hit with water cannons by China, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles said a Chinese warplane dropped flares over an Australian helicopter earlier this year, and in November a Chinese naval vessel was injured. Australian divers in Japanese waters with sonar.

The US, meanwhile, along with its allies, has stepped up military exercises in the region to underscore the “free and open Indo-Pacific” concept aimed at emphasizing freedom of navigation through the disputed waters, including the Taiwan Strait.

Chinese Senior Colonel Cao Yanzhong, a researcher at the Chinese Institute of War Studies, asked Austin whether the US was trying to create an Asian version of NATO with an emphasis on partnerships and alliances, a common Chinese claim. He suggested this could lead to conflict with China, citing ally Russia’s claim that NATO’s eastern expansion posed a threat, which President Vladimir Putin has used as an excuse for his invasion of Ukraine.

“NATO’s eastern expansion led to the Ukraine crisis,” Cao said. “What implications do you think the strengthening of the U.S. alliance system in the Asia-Pacific will have for the security and stability of this region?”

Austin said the US is simply working with “like-minded countries with similar values” and not trying to create a NATO-type alliance, while rejecting Cao’s interpretation of the cause of the war in Ukraine.

With input from authorities.

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