My Take | Aukus leaders prefer posturing and provocation over dialogue
- Shangri-La Dialogue was no missed opportunity for talks as defence chiefs Austin and Marles insisted on belligerence and doublespeak
When it comes to China, the Joe Biden administration has become a one-trick pony – pretend to be ready for dialogue, then go in for the kill. How effective that has been depends on the eye of the beholder.
The latest case in point: the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. According to some news reports, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin personally requested a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu at the security conference but was rebuffed.
Just as the conference was taking place, the United States and Canada staged a highly provocative joint naval exercise sailing through the Taiwan Strait. So obvious, so predictable!
Austin said the US “is working together with our friends more closely every day”. He could say that again. The defence chief added: “We’re working closely with our allies to upgrade our force posture in the region. We’re making our presence more distributed, more agile, and more resilient. And that will bring greater stability and security to the region.” Or not.
An observer from Mars may reasonably conclude that such words and actions of the US and its client states otherwise known as allies are more likely to turn the region into a powder keg.
What you call defence may look pretty offensive to someone else; what you consider your security is another’s insecurity. The world, though, is getting used to such doublespeak.