China warned on Tuesday that the Asia-Pacific region is not a “chessboard of geopolitical confrontation” as the United States continues to strengthen its military buildup in the region.
The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a written request for comment.
Why It Matters
The U.S. military has viewed the Indo-Pacific region, or what China calls the Asia-Pacific region, as its so-called “priority theater of operations,” where it deploys its most capable forces and weaponry, such as aircraft carriers, nuclear-powered submarines and even a laser-armed warship.
Leaders at the Pentagon have viewed China as its “pacing threat” and “pacing challenge” since 2020. The former means a direct, consequential, and near-term peril to U.S. security and values, while the latter poses a long-term risk to U.S. influence, position and power.
What To Know
Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, was asked about whether Beijing is concerned that a peace agreement in the Russia-Ukraine war would lead to a stronger U.S. pivot to Asia, freeing up its military resources to concentrate in the region.
“We believe that the Asia-Pacific is a stellar example of development,” said the Chinese spokesperson, adding that China hopes that a lasting peace can be realized in Europe, as well as the establishment of a “balanced, effective, and sustainable security architecture” there.
“Pivot to Asia” became U.S. foreign policy under the Obama administration, in which the U.S. focused its military, economic and diplomatic resources on Asia to address China’s threat. The Biden administration revived and modernized it as the Indo-Pacific Strategy.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s remarks came after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth‘s speech at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting last week, in which he demanded European allies lead Europe’s security as the U.S. “prioritizes its attention” to threats.
“We also face a peer competitor in the Communist Chinese with the capability and intent to threaten our homeland and core national interests in the Indo-Pacific,” Hegseth said.
“Confrontation and conflict should not be an option for the two countries,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping in a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump in January. He urged Trump to respect China’s core interests and major concerns, including Taiwan.
What People Are Saying
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in Brussels on February 12: “The U.S. is prioritizing deterring war with China in the Pacific, recognizing the reality of scarcity, and making the resourcing trade-offs to ensure deterrence does not fail. Deterrence cannot fail, for all of our sakes.”
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 2, 2024: “We will not allow hegemony and power politics to harm the Asia-Pacific. Nor will we allow geopolitical conflicts, cold wars, or hot wars to be introduced into the Asia-Pacific. Nor will we allow any country or any force to create war and chaos here.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether and how the U.S. will shift its military resources to the Indo-Pacific region from Europe once a peace settlement in Ukraine is reached. Washington has expressed concerns about Beijing’s coercive actions against Taiwan, a U.S. security partner.
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