Li Shangfu
China’s defence minister warned against the formation of NATO-style military alliances in the Asia-Pacific on Sunday, saying it would plunge the area into a whirlpool of violence.
Li Shangfu’s remarks come a day after US and Chinese military vessels sailed near each other in the volatile Taiwan Strait, infuriating both sides.
“Attempts to push for NATO-like (alliances) in the Asia-Pacific is a way of kidnapping regional countries and exaggerating conflicts and confrontations”, Li said at a security conference in Singapore attended by US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
These partnerships, according to Li, will plunge the Asia-Pacific region into a swirl of disagreements and conflicts.
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Li did not identify any countries, but his remarks echoed long-held Chinese criticism of the US’s efforts to fortify partnerships in the region.
The United States is a member of the AUKUS alliance, which includes Australia and the United Kingdom.
Washington also belongs to the QUAD group, along with Australia, India, and Japan.
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“Today’s Asia-Pacific needs open and inclusive cooperation, not buddying up into small cliques”, Li remarked at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit.
“We must not forget the terrible disasters that the two world wars brought to peoples all over the world, and we must not allow such tragic history to repeat itself”, he added.
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