China countered the US provocation at the "incense meeting" and won the praise of many parties for its frank speech!

"The Chinese defense minister sent a blunt message: if Western countries want to avoid dangerous conflicts with the PLA, they should not enter the vicinity of Chinese territory and territorial waters." The Financial Times reported on the 4th. On the same day, Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu delivered a speech on the topic of "China's New Security Initiative" at the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue (hereinafter referred to as the "Xianghui") and answered questions from 10 representatives at the scene. Qi Dapeng, director of the Strategic Consulting Center of the National Defense University, told the Global Times reporter that compared with the speech of US Defense Secretary Austin on the theme of "US leadership in the Indo-Pacific region" the day before, most countries more agree with the concept of communication and cooperation and common security advocated by China, especially Asia-Pacific countries do not agree with the United States' practice of engaging in alliance politics and gangs. As the only head of state to participate in this "incense meeting", Timor-Leste President Horta called on Europe and the United States not to look at China with a narrow vision in his speech on the 4th, which attracted media attention. In the afternoon of the same day, the three-day "incense meeting" closed, and some media lamented that "Sino-US relations show almost no signs of relaxation." In response to the US side repeatedly raising the topic of "Sino-US defense ministers' talks" before the conference and in its speeches, Chinese experts told the Global Times that when the high-level contacts between the Chinese and US militaries resume, the ball is on the side of the United States, and it depends on when the United States can create a suitable political atmosphere.

Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu delivers a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, photo by Guo Yuandan, a special correspondent to Singapore

Chinese Defense Minister: Please take good care of your own warships and aircraft

Singapore's Straits Times said on the 4th that Li Shangfu's first speech at the "incense meeting" after becoming China's defense minister was highly anticipated. He described a world beset by a "resurgent Cold War mentality" and escalating regional conflicts, issued unnamed criticism of the United States and touted China's global security initiatives.

Li Shangfu pointed out that President Xi Jinping put forward the global security initiative, advocated a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept, and contributed Chinese wisdom to addressing international security challenges. He stressed: Taiwan is China's Taiwan, and how to resolve the Taiwan issue is Chinese its own affair, and no outside forces should be allowed to interfere. If anyone dares to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese army will not hesitate in the slightest, will not be afraid of any opponent, and will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity no matter what the cost.

Agence France-Presse said that the day before the Chinese defense minister's speech, US and Chinese warships "dangerously approached" near the Taiwan Strait, and "this incident provoked anger on both sides."

On the 3rd, the US destroyer "Zhong Yun" and the Canadian frigate "Montreal" sailed through the Taiwan Strait and publicly hyped it. The Eastern Theater of the People's Liberation Army responded as soon as possible, organized naval and air forces to follow the supervision and vigilance throughout the process, and dealt with them in accordance with laws and regulations. But the US side did not stop there. Canada's Global News Network later published a report saying that the reporter accompanying the ship witnessed the scene of the Chinese warship accelerating to the front of the "Zhongyun" and making a cross-cutting scene, the nearest distance was less than 150 yards (about 137 meters). The commander of the frigate Montreal, Mountford, claimed that the Chinese warship informed the United States that they were trying to enter Chinese waters and needed to change course to avoid a collision. The U.S. ship responded by asking the Chinese to stay away from the Zhongyun, but the Zhongyun eventually changed course and slowed down.

On the 4th, the United States continued to hype up the matter. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that the Chinese warship "maneuvered in an unsafe manner near the U.S. destroyer" on Saturday, AFP reported. Austin described the incident as "extremely dangerous" in Singapore on the 4th, and claimed that "I call on the (Chinese) leadership to do the right thing to control this behavior, because it may lead to loss of control." According to the report, this is the second "approach" of Chinese and American aircraft and warships in recent times. The U.S. side has previously accused Chinese fighter jets of intercepting U.S. surveillance planes in the South China Sea in an "unprofessional" manner on May 26.

"Why did the [incidents] mentioned in the question all occur near China's airspace and territorial waters, and not in the airspace and territorial waters of other countries?" Li Shangfu asked rhetorically when answering the question of "Chinese military planes and warships intercepting US military planes and expelling US warships" at the "incense meeting" on 4 July. The best way, he said, is for countries to manage their warships and aircraft.

Zhu Qichao, deputy director of the National Defense Science and Technology Strategic Research Think Tank of the National University of Defense Technology, told the Global Times reporter in Singapore on the 4th that this is indeed the case, precisely because the United States came to China's doorstep and threatened China's security, but accused us of being unprofessional, "This also proves that this series of incidents is deliberately provoked by the US military to provoke incidents and create public opinion, and it can even be said that this is the design of the US military, deliberately pouring dirty water on China, in line with the tone of Austin's speech."

According to Singapore's Asia News Channel, Singapore's Defense Minister Huang Yonghong said on the 4th when asked how he felt about the speech of the Chinese defense minister that many leaders told him that China's position was "very clear" and they were deeply impressed by it. "Whether you like the content or not depends on the audience, but the clarity is where the red line is and what impact it will have on countries." Every country must make a decision. Huang Yonghong said.

President of Timor-Leste: Don't look at China in the "view of a well frog"

Leaders and senior officials of many countries mentioned China in their speeches at the "Xianghui". According to Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao, Horta, who became president of Timor-Leste for the second time in April last year, is the only head of state to participate in this "incense meeting". In his speech at the conference on the 4th, he criticized some countries for viewing China's rise with a "well frog view" and calling China a regional and global threat, which is unconvincing. "China's influence is global, it is a world power, and its interests, wealth, people's well-being and security are intertwined with all countries in the world," he said. I don't think China will kill chickens for eggs. ”

Horta used the Somali story to explain to "American and European friends" why many countries around the world are turning their attention to China. As China becomes a "real power," he said, countries that once had hopes for the West but eventually became disillusioned found new ones to rely on.

Singapore's Defense Minister Wong Yong Hong was asked at the "incense meeting" on the 4th, what does ASEAN want Japan to do? He replied that Japan's most important task is to improve relations with China, and that he is more worried about the situation in Northeast Asia than about the South China Sea. On U.S.-China relations, Mr Wong said ASEAN countries such as Singapore are not "indifferent bystanders" amid ongoing US-China tensions.

This reflects the thinking of most countries. Qi Dapeng, director of the Strategic Consulting Center of the National Defense University, told the Global Times reporter on the 4th, "When I communicated with my counterparts in Malaysia and New Zealand, they said that there are nearly 200 countries and regions in the world, and the so-called United States wants to strengthen communication with 'regional countries' and enhance mutual trust, but in fact, it is only communicating within the small circle delimited by the United States, not with most countries in the world." ”

Regional countries "persuade and do not dissuade"

The fierce confrontation between China and the United States at this "incense meeting" attracted media attention. The Straits Times said that Austin criticized China for "coercing" countries in the region and "refusing dialogue" in his speech on the 3rd, and the Chinese delegation quickly held a press conference to launch a counterattack, systematically refuting the arguments in Austin's speech one by one. The Chinese side said that the correct time for the Sino-US defense ministers' dialogue is for the United States to lift the sanctions imposed on Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu and create the necessary atmosphere and conditions for the dialogue as soon as possible.

The "Incense Festival" has been held in Singapore since 2002, and in 2023 it will better demonstrate its attributes as a platform for communication and dialogue. Although the defense ministers of China and the United States attended the meeting at the same time but did not hold bilateral talks for the first time, across the 12-hour time difference between Beijing and Washington, the defense ministers of the two countries reached a "consensus" in their speeches at the conference one day apart: the two major countries need to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, but China stressed that the prerequisite for communication is mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. The US National Public Radio said on the 4th that the Chinese and US defense ministers competed for influence at the "incense meeting", and both sides expressed the hope that the relationship would "thaw", but according to their own conditions.

Qian Feng, a researcher at the National Institute for Strategic Studies of Tsinghua University, told the Global Times reporter on the 4th that the current Sino-US contacts in diplomacy, economy and trade have begun, and tensions are stabilizing, but when the high-level contacts of the two militaries resume, the ball is on the side of the United States, and it depends on when the United States creates a suitable political atmosphere for high-level contacts.

Lianhe Zaobao said on the 4th that the Chinese and US defense ministers "only shake hands but do not meet" at the "incense meeting", which made many people sweat cold for the next development of Sino-US military relations. This may be the best result that can be achieved in the current situation to avoid embarrassment and avoid the escalation of contradictions. The article believes that many defense ministers and deputies who spoke at the "incense meeting" this year have slowed down their tones, talked about the need for constructive dialogue, and stressed the importance of communication. Perhaps, as some observers have pointed out, many ministers sense that Europe is already at war and that Asia does not need another one. Vigilance against war and sincere demands for "avoiding war" are the undercurrents of this "incense meeting". Seeing the tension between the two major powers and worrying that Sino-US relations are out of control, other countries have consciously cooled the situation or simply avoided the "minefield". The "persuasion and not dissuasion" of regional countries and the call to "only do not move" reflect the general mentality of "avoiding war".

Source: Global Times