China will not be allowed to change the order of the Indo-Pacific region in disregard of international rules. The administration of Chinese President Xi Jinping must listen to the concerns of the international community and rectify its coercive behavior.
The Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, has been held in Singapore to discuss regional affairs, with defense ministers and military experts attending from various countries. Ultimately this year's summit was again a forum in which the United States and China traded barbs.
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan called for China to build cooperative relationships with other countries, saying that Beijing must end "behavior that erodes other nations' sovereignty and sows distrust of China's intentions."
Without specifically naming China, Shanahan criticized methods of depriving other countries of rights and interests by burdening them with debt and stealing technology from other nations under government initiatives, saying that Washington denounces such behavior. It is reasonable that he has indicated a U.S. policy of promoting cooperation with allies, including Japan, and friendly nations.
Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe argued that the U.S. dispatch of military ships to the South China Sea has been "destabilizing" the region and obstinately insisted that the alleged militarization of the South China Sea was aimed at self-defense.
Wei emphasized that China has been proceeding with work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to compile "a code of conduct" for the purpose of resolving disputes in the South China Sea. It is unacceptable for Beijing to aim to unilaterally work out a code that is advantageous to China while excluding the United States and other countries as outsiders.
Confidence-building key
The U.S. Defense Department believes that China has built such military facilities as runways, hangars and ports on reclaimed reefs in the South China Sea and deployed anti-ship and anti-air missiles. Washington should continue its freedom of navigation operations and strengthen checks on China.
Wei's attendance at the Shangri-La Dialogue marked the first time in eight years that a top leader of the Chinese Defense Ministry has participated in the forum. Wei likely exercised caution against moves toward encirclement of China. He conferred with Shanahan to discuss measures to prevent accidental clashes.
Efforts by the United States and China to alleviate tensions over security are indispensable to ensuring peace and stability in Asia. The two superpowers need to maintain dialogue between their defense and military officials and work toward promoting confidence-building.
Making a speech at the Asia Security Summit, Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya endorsed and welcomed the U.S. policy of ramping up its commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, which was announced by Shanahan.
In his meetings with defense ministers of the United States and Australia, Iwaya shared the standpoint with them of strongly opposing coercive actions that would lead to heightening tensions in the East China Sea -- with China in mind.
While Japan-China relations have improved steadily, Chinese vessels' intrusion into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture have continued. Japan must strengthen cooperation with neighboring countries and stick to the principle of not allowing China "to change the status quo by force."
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 3, 2019)
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