The US’ new defense strategy focused on the Asia-Pacific region is directed at containing China’s rise, the People’s Liberation Army’s newspaper said yesterday in Beijing’s strongest warning yet against the new Pentagon stance.
However, the commentary in the Liberation Army Daily also said China’s sensible response to the US military’s refocus on Asia should be “vigilance” and smart diplomacy, not panic.
The US is “laying out forces across the Asia-Pacific region in advance to contain the rise of China,” the paper’s commentary by Major General Luo Yuan (羅援) said.
Washington’s assertions that the military refocus announced last week is not directed at China are “simply making their real intent all the more obvious.”
“Casting our eyes around we can see that the United States has been bolstering its five major military alliances in the Asia-Pacific region and is adjusting the positioning of its five major military base clusters, while also seeking more entry rights for military bases around China,” Luo wrote. “Who can believe that you are not directing this at China? Isn’t this the return of a Cold War mentality?”
Luo is well-known for his hawkish views and often published in popular Chinese newspapers and online. However, the appearance of his commentary in the Liberation Army Daily, which is heavily vetted as the chief paper of the military, suggests that his latest comments enjoy some level of official endorsement.
On Monday, the Chinese Ministry of Defense told the US to be “careful in its words and actions” after last week announcing the defense rethink that stresses responding to China’s rise by shoring up US alliances and bases across Asia.
The new US strategy promises to boost strength in Asia in an attempt to counter China’s growing ability to check US power in the region, even as US forces draw back elsewhere across the globe.
Under the new strategy, the US would maintain large bases in Japan and South Korea, as well as deploy US Marines, US Navy ships and aircraft to Australia’s Northern Territory.
The strategy also calls for countering potential attempts by China and Iran to block US capabilities in areas such as the South China Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
China has sought to balance voicing its wariness about the US moves with its desire for steady relations with Washington, especially as both sides grapple with domestic politics this year, when US President Barack Obama faces a re-election fight and the Chinese Communist Party undergoes a leadership handover.
Luo warned against panic.
Instead, Beijing must do a better job at courting friends in the region, charming countries away from the US’ orbit, he wrote.
“In the face of this adjustment in the US strategic focus, we must possess a sense of peril and maintain a high degree of vigilance, but there is no need to be alarmed about the expected,” Luo wrote.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College