Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
World
Home / World / China-US

Provocative rhetoric of US criticized

China, Asia-Pacific countries choose cooperation, talks over confrontation

By JIANG CHENGLONG in Singapore | CHINA DAILY | Updated: 2025-06-02 07:24
Share
Share - WeChat

China strongly criticized on Sunday the speech delivered by the United States defense chief at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, calling it an attempt to promote bloc confrontation and exaggerate the "China threat" theory, while experts noted that the US' bid to drive a wedge between China and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region will be ineffective.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ignored the call for peace and development by countries in the region, peddled Cold War mentality, and smeared and attacked China with provocative and divisive rhetoric, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Sunday.

China expresses strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to this development, and has lodged stern representations with the US, the statement added.

On Saturday, Hegseth delivered a speech at the high-level security summit, urging Asia-Pacific countries to increase their military spending to 5 percent of GDP to counter perceived threats from China in the region, including in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

The Foreign Ministry responded by emphasizing that the US is the biggest factor undermining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

"To perpetuate its hegemony and advance its so-called 'Indo-Pacific strategy', the US has deployed offensive weaponry in the South China Sea and has kept stoking flames and creating tensions in the Asia-Pacific," the ministry said in the statement.

These acts are turning the region into a powder keg and making countries in the region deeply concerned, it said.

The statement also reiterated that the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair, and no foreign country has the right to interfere. "The US should not attempt to use the Taiwan question as a bargaining chip to contain China and should refrain from playing with fire," it said.

The Foreign Ministry noted that there has never been any problem with regard to freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.

"China has always insisted on resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation with relevant countries and upholding territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in accordance with the law," the statement said.

The Ministry of National Defense also expressed strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to Hegseth's speech.

Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said in a statement on Sunday that the US is accustomed to using the Shangri-La Dialogue to create disputes, incite confrontation and seek its own interests.

The US defense chief's remarks were rife with deeply ingrained hegemonic logic and Cold War mentality, Zhang noted.

"For its own selfish interests, the US launches tariff wars and trade wars, forms small circles and engages in bloc confrontation, causing deep concerns among countries. It also strengthens military deployments in the Asia-Pacific, rudely interferes in the internal affairs of other countries and triggers tensions," Zhang said.

The US, by going against the trend and acting willfully, will ultimately harm itself, he added.

Hu Gangfeng, head of the delegation from the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army to the Shangri-La Dialogue, called "baseless" the allegations made against China by certain countries including the US. These are intended to incite confrontation and destabilize the Asia-Pacific region, he said.

Security challenges

Hu, who is also vice-president of the PLA's National Defense University, warned in his speech at a special session on Saturday that the maritime security in the Asia-Pacific faces severe challenges.

"Certain countries are recklessly pushing for exclusive and confrontational blocs, significantly increasing their military presence, and frequently infringing on other countries' territorial sovereignty and maritime rights under the pretext of so-called freedom of navigation," he said.

Hu highlighted that China has consistently emphasized common security and the proper resolution of disputes and conflicts.

"China respects the centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and addresses disputes regarding territorial sovereignty and maritime rights through negotiation and consultation," he said.

Hours after the US defense chief's remarks, Anwar Ibrahim, prime minister of Malaysia, the ASEAN chair for 2025, warned in his speech of the dangers of bloc confrontation, emphasizing that the South China Sea issue needs to be resolved through dialogue, rather than confrontation.

"When major powers attempt to divide the world into exclusive zones of control, smaller nations are often left voiceless," he said. "Malaysia does not believe in spheres of influence. Stability does not come from carving up the map, but from creating space for all to participate meaningfully in shaping the global order we live in."

Anwar said the South China Sea issue "is best pursued through steady, principled diplomacy — quiet, when necessary, but always firm".

He added: "We have no interest in seeing tensions spiral into confrontation. ... We will urge restraint, encourage dialogue, and aim to preserve the stability on which this region depends."

Wang Dong, a professor at Peking University's School of International Studies, said that Anwar's speech represents the voice of most ASEAN countries, which pursue cooperation and development and are willing to develop relations with China.

"Most ASEAN countries strongly resist and oppose the US' bid of coercing and enticing them to pick sides. I think this approach is unpopular," said Wang, who was a member of the Chinese delegation to the security summit.

Hegseth's speech was filled with Cold War mentality, he said. For a long time, the US has violated international norms for its hegemonic interests, continuously interfering in China's internal affairs, and is now further hyping the "China threat" to sow discord between China and ASEAN countries, aiming to contain and restrain China, he added.

Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, said the US' attempt to divide China and Asia-Pacific countries will be "ineffective because it lacks persuasiveness".

Da, who was also a delegate, noted that countries in the region already have a good foundation for cooperation and relations with China, and that a few provocative remarks made by the US will not change that.

Most Viewed in 24 Hours
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
主站蜘蛛池模板: 色综合天天综合网国产成人网| 天下第一日本高清国语在线观看| 日本熟妇色熟妇在线视频播放| 无码无套少妇毛多18pxxxx| 手机看片国产免费永久| 师尊要被cao坏了by谦野| 好男人社区神马www| 在线观看福利网站| 国产日韩欧美网站| 午夜视频在线观看国产| 亚洲欧美在线播放| 久久精品亚洲视频| 一区二区免费电影| 亚洲天堂2016| 美国发布站精品视频| 欧美最猛黑人xxxx黑人猛交98| 日韩AV无码精品一二三区| 天天躁日日躁狠狠躁一级毛片| 国产欧美日韩另类精彩视频| 制服丝袜日韩欧美| 亚洲AV无码成人黄网站在线观看| 丁香六月纪婷婷激情综合| 全黄大全大色全免费大片| 美国十次啦大导航| 欧美一区二区三区久久久人妖| 成人午夜免费福利| 国产精品99久久久精品无码| 公和熄小婷乱中文字幕| 五月天国产视频| freee×xx性欧美| 香蕉网在线视频| 欧美综合自拍亚洲综合图片区| 日本免费a级毛一片| 国产精品视频一区二区三区四| 四虎影永久在线观看网址| 亚洲gv天堂无码男同在线观看| 一级毛片一级毛片一级级毛片 | 久久文学网辣文小说| 99国产精品免费视频观看| 色偷偷91综合久久噜噜app| 欧美孕妇xxxx做受欧美|