Posted on Jun 4, 2023
China and U.S. defense chiefs compete for influence in the Asia Pacific
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https://www.npr.org/2023/06/04/ [login to see] /four-takeaways-as-chinas-defense-chief-made-a-barbed-speech-at-a-singapore-summi
China's new defense minister made his first international appearance on Sunday at an annual defense summit, where he delivered a speech full of thinly-veiled barbs at the U.S., calling on it to "mind your own business" after two close encounters between the country's militaries.
"The best way to prevent this from happening is that military vessels and aircraft not come close to our waters and airspace," Li said. "Watch out for your own territorial waters and airspace, then there will not be any problems."
His remarks highlight how mounting U.S.-China military tensions have dominated the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, spilling out into the open with dueling speeches delivered by their respective defense chiefs over the weekend.
Here's what that means for the power dynamics in the region.
China's new defense minister made his first international appearance on Sunday at an annual defense summit, where he delivered a speech full of thinly-veiled barbs at the U.S., calling on it to "mind your own business" after two close encounters between the country's militaries.
"The best way to prevent this from happening is that military vessels and aircraft not come close to our waters and airspace," Li said. "Watch out for your own territorial waters and airspace, then there will not be any problems."
His remarks highlight how mounting U.S.-China military tensions have dominated the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, spilling out into the open with dueling speeches delivered by their respective defense chiefs over the weekend.
Here's what that means for the power dynamics in the region.
China and U.S. defense chiefs compete for influence in the Asia Pacific
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Posted 11 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."A hemisphere away, the war in Ukraine is an issue of contention in Asia
Political heavy-hitters from the European Union and Ukraine also traveled to Singapore to rally support for Ukraine in its fight to expel Russian troops from its territory.
"There's many countries who are doing a very important contribution to Ukraine. But I think we also, at the same time, should be humble about the need also to have a strategic dialogue with the Global South," Pål Jonson, Sweden's defense minister, said in an interview with NPR." Sweden is increasing its defense budget this year and has applied to join NATO, the security alliance, breaking away from its history of neutrality.
Southeast Asian nations are not entirely swayed by the arguments for Ukraine however. Countries like Thailand and Malaysia have either withheld condemnation of Russia's invasion or, like Indonesia, have continued to openly court Russia.
Indonesia's defense minister Prabowo Subianto proposed a plan to create a demilitarized zone between Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories and the rest of Ukraine, a proposal that immediately received pushback from Ukraine's defense minister, Olekseii Reznikov.
"I will try to be polite. It sounds like a Russian plan," Reznikov said on a panel later.
The proposal was treated with cautious curiosity from Southeast Asian delegates, however. Cambodia's defense minister later also pushed for a negotiated end to the war.
"As soon as you say you want to negotiate for peace in Ukraine, you are cast aside as 'pro-Russia.' It really constrains our options," said a senior Indonesian diplomat. He declined to be named as he was not authorized to take media interviews."
..."A hemisphere away, the war in Ukraine is an issue of contention in Asia
Political heavy-hitters from the European Union and Ukraine also traveled to Singapore to rally support for Ukraine in its fight to expel Russian troops from its territory.
"There's many countries who are doing a very important contribution to Ukraine. But I think we also, at the same time, should be humble about the need also to have a strategic dialogue with the Global South," Pål Jonson, Sweden's defense minister, said in an interview with NPR." Sweden is increasing its defense budget this year and has applied to join NATO, the security alliance, breaking away from its history of neutrality.
Southeast Asian nations are not entirely swayed by the arguments for Ukraine however. Countries like Thailand and Malaysia have either withheld condemnation of Russia's invasion or, like Indonesia, have continued to openly court Russia.
Indonesia's defense minister Prabowo Subianto proposed a plan to create a demilitarized zone between Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories and the rest of Ukraine, a proposal that immediately received pushback from Ukraine's defense minister, Olekseii Reznikov.
"I will try to be polite. It sounds like a Russian plan," Reznikov said on a panel later.
The proposal was treated with cautious curiosity from Southeast Asian delegates, however. Cambodia's defense minister later also pushed for a negotiated end to the war.
"As soon as you say you want to negotiate for peace in Ukraine, you are cast aside as 'pro-Russia.' It really constrains our options," said a senior Indonesian diplomat. He declined to be named as he was not authorized to take media interviews."
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