US defence secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday criticised China for conducting harmful aerial intercepts over the South China Sea and warned that Washington wouldn’t be deterred by threatening behaviour within the Indo-Pacific area.

China was conducting “an alarming variety of dangerous intercepts of US and allied plane flying lawfully in worldwide airspace”, Austin mentioned on the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

His remarks got here days after the Pentagon launched a video displaying a Chinese language fighter jet flying dangerously close to a US spy airplane.

“We don’t search battle or confrontation, however we won’t flinch within the face of bullying or coercion,” Austin mentioned.

The annual Asia safety discussion board hosted by the Worldwide Institute for Strategic Research think-tank has steadily served as one of many few venues for US defence secretaries to satisfy their Chinese language counterparts. Nonetheless China this 12 months refused an invite from Austin for a gathering as a result of the US maintains sanctions on Chinese language defence minister Li Shangfu.

On Friday, Austin attended a dinner the place Li was current. The 2 males shook fingers of their first interplay since Li, who’s talking on the discussion board on Sunday, grew to become defence minister in March.

In a speech that burdened the US dedication to allies within the area, Austin not directly known as on China to have interaction with the Pentagon.

“For accountable defence leaders, the appropriate time to speak is any time, the appropriate time to speak is each time, and the appropriate time to speak is now. Dialogue isn’t a reward. It’s a necessity,” mentioned Austin.

However China blamed the US for the breakdown in communication and known as upon different nations within the area to not aspect with Washington.

“The US has been calling for communication and exchanges on the one hand and undermining China’s pursuits and issues on the opposite, and claiming to boost the administration and management of disaster on one hand and performing powerful and displaying provocation on the opposite,” mentioned Lieutenant Common Jing Jianfeng, deputy chief of the joint workers division of the Central Navy Fee, Beijing’s high army organ.

“The essence of the US preaching its Indo-Pacific technique serves the aim of preserving its place as a hegemon,” he added. “We consider nations upholding strategic autonomy and in search of peace and growth won’t blindly observe the US.”

When requested if the Pentagon had made any progress on holding nuclear arms management talks with China, Austin responded: “You bought to speak to them first, in order quickly as they reply the telephone, perhaps we’ll [talk].”

Austin spoke because the US tries to kick-start top-level engagements with Chinese language officers in an effort to stabilise relations. China has refused to offer a inexperienced mild to a go to from secretary of state Antony Blinken, who cancelled a visit to Beijing in February over an alleged Chinese language spy balloon.

However the Monetary Occasions reported on Friday that CIA director Invoice Burns made a secret journey to Beijing in Could and met Chinese language intelligence officers. Two individuals acquainted with the journey mentioned China invited Burns to go to.

In his speech, Austin mentioned Washington and its allies had made “super progress” in direction of guaranteeing peace and stability within the Indo-Pacific in what he intimated was a response to China.

“An increasing number of, the nations of the Indo-Pacific have come collectively round a compelling imaginative and prescient of the long run,” Austin mentioned. “It’s a imaginative and prescient of a area wherein all nations are free to thrive on their very own phrases — with out coercion, intimidation or bullying.” 

In one other indirect reference to China amid issues about potential army motion in opposition to Taiwan, Austin mentioned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “introduced house to individuals in all places how harmful our world would develop into if massive nations may simply invade their peaceable neighbours with impunity”.

He mentioned the US was “doubling down” on its alliances and “stepping up planning, co-ordination and coaching with our mates from the East China Sea to the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean”.

Requested by the Monetary Occasions if the US was making progress in creating joint operational battle plans with allies, significantly Japan and Australia, for a Taiwan contingency, Austin declined to touch upon specifics.

However he mentioned it was necessary to extend interoperability between militaries and that whereas the Pentagon had accomplished a lot, the progress was “not at all the place any of us wish to be finally”.

The Pentagon mentioned the US and Canadian navies have been crusing by way of the Taiwan Strait because the Shangri-La Dialogue was being held. Lieutenant Kristina Wiedemann, a US Navy spokesperson, mentioned an American guided-missile destroyer and a Canadian frigate have been crusing by way of the waters separating Taiwan from mainland China on Saturday.