A spokesperson for the Chinese Army accused the United States on Saturday (1st) of trying to create “a version of NATO in Asia” to maintain its hegemony, in statements made within the scope of the continent’s main security forum, held in Singapore. .
At a press conference, Chinese general Jing Jianfeng said that the US “is clinging to the Cold War mentality and zero-sum game tactics, forming exclusive clubs”, according to the portal reported China Military, specialized in military information and linked to the Chinese Army. “The real goal of this strategy is to integrate small circles into a larger circle – an Asia-Pacific version of NATO – thus maintaining American dominance,” Jing said.
The words of the Beijing representative came after the speech given by the American Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, during the so-called Shangri-La Dialogue. Austin praised the work with his allies and the creation over the last three years of a “new convergence around almost every aspect of security” in the region, where there has been a shared understanding of the “power of association”.
“This new convergence is producing a stronger, more resilient and more capable network of partnerships that is defining a new era of security” in the region, Austin said, citing security pacts such as AUKUS (along with Australia and the United Kingdom) and the QUAD (with Japan, Australia and India), among other associations.
“We are driven by a shared vision that unites us and serves to prevent a single country from imposing its will. There is no harassment, but freedom of choice for sovereign states”, highlighted Austin, in a veiled message to China. The US representative, who met yesterday on the sidelines of the forum with his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, was conciliatory and left the door open to “dialogue” to reduce tension between both powers and avoid “misunderstandings”.
On Sunday, the Chinese defense minister will take the podium in Singapore during a panel titled “China’s approach to global security”, where he will have the opportunity to respond directly to his American counterpart. China and the US maintain differences over the autonomy and status of Taiwan, which Beijing considers a rebellious province, and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, which Chinese authorities claim almost in its entirety, among other issues. (With EFE Agency).
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