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Opinion | India remains the wild card in US-China security tussle in Asia
- In highlighting Beijing’s territorial aggressiveness and singling out New Delhi for closer ties, the US is seizing on India’s swing-state status in the post-Cold-War strategic hexagon
- India still maintains security ties with Russia and China but the troubled Sino-Indian relationship may yet be the critical determinant in shaping Asian security
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The Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, which brought together defence ministers and senior officials from across the Indo-Pacific, was mainly dominated by the verbal sparring between the United States and China, and the war in Ukraine.
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As alliance members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the US, Japan, India and Australia also acquired a degree of focus. This was more so since Japan and Australia were represented by their prime minister and deputy prime minister respectively – while India chose to send a serving three-star admiral. This contrast was an indication of how each nation perceived the security conference.
The most significant takeaway is that this year’s meeting was held in person after a two-year Covid-19 hiatus, enabling high-level and personal interactions on Asian and global security issues against a backdrop of considerable geopolitical turbulence engendered by the war in Ukraine.
It was the first time the US and Chinese defence ministers had met in person since President Joe Biden assumed office in January 2021 and amid increased tension in the bilateral relationship.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a “historic crisis”. He said that “Russia’s indefensible assault on a peaceful neighbour has galvanised the world. And [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s reckless war of choice has reminded us all of the dangers of undercutting an international order rooted in rules and respect.”
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China, US defence chiefs square off on Taiwan, Ukraine in first face-to-face talks
China, US defence chiefs square off on Taiwan, Ukraine in first face-to-face talks
Framing the Ukraine crisis as a critical issue of global relevance, Austin raised three questions: “Do rules matter? Does sovereignty matter? Does the system that we have built together matter?”
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