US-China tensions overshadow Shangri-La Asia security forum

The Shangri-La Dialogue, which opened on June 2 in Singapore, is one of the most important security conferences on the international calendar, bringing together senior security officials from more than 40 countries, including the United States, China, Britain, Australia and Japan.

Also known as the Asia Security Summit, organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and now in its 20th edition, the annual meeting provides an opportunity for world powers to address the lack of dialogue on defense issues.

However, the three-day summit risks being overshadowed by an irreparable rift between the US and China.

Bilateral communication is difficult .

Ahead of the summit, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu met his Singaporean counterpart Ng Eng Hen on June 1. The two sides agreed to establish a direct defense and security communication line between top military commanders of China and Singapore amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.

However, there is no sign that the communication gap between China and the US will be overcome soon, especially after Beijing rejected Washington's request for a meeting between the two countries' defense ministers on the sidelines of the forum.

At the Shangri-La Dialogue last June, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with then-Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe.

Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu meets Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on the sidelines of the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, June 2, 2023. Photo: Straits Times

But communication channels between Washington and Beijing have been disrupted since then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022, despite strong objections from Beijing. Bilateral communication has not been fully restored to this day.

Earlier this year, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed a trip to Beijing after Washington shot down what it described as a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina. China insisted the balloon was not intended for spying.

On June 1, Mr. Austin said it was “regrettable” that China rejected the proposed meeting.

“You’ve heard me say many times how important it is for countries with significant capabilities to be able to talk to each other to manage crises and prevent things from getting out of control unnecessarily,” Austin said at a joint news conference in Tokyo with Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada.

“I am concerned that at some point something could happen that could get out of control very, very quickly,” he added.

One of the main obstacles to the proposed meeting is US sanctions on Mr Li, who was appointed China's defence minister in March.

Beijing wants the sanctions lifted before any bilateral meetings.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin meets Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen on the sidelines of the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, June 2, 2023. Photo: Straits Times

The sanctions were imposed by the Trump administration in 2018 after Li, then head of the Equipment Development Department of China's Central Military Commission, approved purchases from Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, including Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missile systems.

“The United States should recognize the causes of the difficulties in dialogue between the Chinese and US militaries, respect China’s sovereignty, security and interests, immediately correct its wrongdoings and show sincerity,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said earlier this week.

“We have to wonder whether the rejection comes from US sanctions,” Ms. Mao noted.

Different perspectives on dialogue

Dr Chong Ja Ian, associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, said the lack of a formal bilateral meeting this year showed “uncomfortable, even tense” relations between the two powers.

The dilemma Washington and Beijing are facing “reveals fundamentally different visions of the role of the media in great power relations,” said James Crabtree, executive director of the Asia Bureau of the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), which organizes the Shangri-La Dialogue.

“From Washington’s perspective, communication is the most important thing in a crisis… But Beijing’s view is almost the exact opposite,” Mr. Crabtree said in an analysis for the IISS. “China sees communication as something that should happen when relations are good. If relations deteriorate, cutting off communication channels is an easy way to express dissatisfaction.”

Panels displaying the history of the Shangri-La Dialogue are set up at the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, ahead of the 20th conference opening on June 2, 2023. Photo: Straits Times

Drew Thompson, a former US defense official and senior fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, said it was “not surprising that there was no meeting, given the current tensions. While Austin and Lee meeting may reassure other countries in the region, I don’t think it will change the security dynamics or the underlying uncertainties.”

“What you are seeing is the emergence of a regional security architecture,” Mr. Thompson said. “The region is really coming together in the common interest of regional security and stability.”

This is underscored by a series of bilateral and multilateral initiatives that have emerged over the past few years, including improved relations between Japan and South Korea and the resumption of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue between Australia, Japan, India and the United States.

“China has the option to be part of this, if it chooses,” Mr. Thompson said. “But Beijing will need to effectively change its approach and consider the impact of its policies on its neighbors . ”

Minh Duc (According to La Prensa Latina, CNBC, Strait Times)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/cang-thang-my-trung-phu-bong-dien-dan-an-ninh-chau-a-shangri-la-a610803.html