Lloyd Austin rebukes China’s ‘more coercive and intense approach’

Mike Brest

June 11, 12:08 PM June 11, 12:08 PM

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin criticized China’s recently heightened aggression towards its neighbors in the Asia-Pacific all through a speech on the country's doorstep.

He condemned China’s “expanding fishing fleet” and its “outposts on guy-made islands bristling with innovative weaponry to progress its unlawful maritime claims” when the country’s “vessels plunder the region’s provisions, working illegally in the territorial waters of other Indo-Pacific countries.”

"Indo-Pacific nations around the world shouldn't confront political intimidation, economic coercion, or harassment by maritime militias," Austin stated Saturday in a keynote deal with to the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier defense convention, held in Singapore.

Defense SECRETARY AUSTIN Meets CHINESE COUNTERPART FOR Initially IN-Man or woman DIALOGUE

The secretary vowed the Protection Office “will maintain [its] active presence throughout the Indo-Pacific.”

Austin also condemned China's aggression toward Taiwan, the island of 24 million folks that considers itself independent from China, whilst the mainland views it as a territory of its very own country.

"We have found an alarming increase in the variety of unsafe aerial intercepts and confrontations at sea by PLA aircraft and vessels," he said, in advance of reaffirming America's dedication to its "a person China" policy, which rejects Taiwanese independence.

"We remain firmly dedicated to our prolonged-standing just one-China coverage — guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the 3 Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances. We categorically oppose any unilateral changes to the position quo from possibly aspect," the secretary reported. "We do not aid Taiwan independence. And we stand firmly driving the principle that cross-strait variances should be solved by tranquil suggests."

A Chinese army leader accused Austin of pushing "unfounded accusations."

"There ended up numerous unfounded accusations from China, and we expressed our robust dissatisfaction and company opposition to these bogus accusations," Lt. Gen. Zhang Zhenzhong, the deputy chief of the Joint Team Division of China's Central Military services Fee, advised reporters, in accordance to CNN.

Last month, President Joe Biden appeared to announce a change in policy when he affirmed during a press convention in Asia that the United States would intervene militarily in Taiwan, even though the White Household afterwards claimed he was not talking about a policy adjust. This was not the 1st time his communications staff had to backpedal an apparent guarantee to use the navy to defend Taiwan.

Austin achieved with his Chinese counterpart, Minister of National Protection Gen. Wei Fenghe, on Friday.