Chinese Official Condemns US Indo-Pacific Strategy at Shangri La Dialogue

A Chinese defense official has criticized the US Indo-Pacific strategy, claiming it aims to build an Asia-Pacific version of NATO to maintain American dominance. The remarks come in response to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's statements at the Shangri La Dialogue, emphasizing the strategy's divisive nature.

A Chinese defense official has sharply criticized the United States' Indo-Pacific strategy, asserting that its true aim is to construct an Asia-Pacific version of NATO to uphold American hegemony in the region. This assertion was made by Lieutenant General Jing Jianfeng, the deputy chief of staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, who responded to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's recent declarations at the Shangri La Dialogue.

Situated in Singapore, the Shangri La Dialogue is regarded as Asia's foremost defense summit. In his speech, Jing cautioned that regional countries could become entangled with the 'US war chariot,' effectively taking risks for American interests. He labeled Austin's commentary as mere rhetoric that, despite sounding appealing, ultimately benefits only US geopolitical agendas and is bound to fail.

Jing explained that integrating smaller alliances into a broader coalition like an 'Asia-Pacific NATO' serves primarily to perpetuate US dominance, fostering division and conflict within the region. This comes in the broader context of the US and other world powers advocating for a free and thriving Indo-Pacific amid China's increasing military assertiveness in the strategically vital South China Sea.