US defence chief Lloyd Austin says China is getting ‘more coercive’ in its territorial claims
- Washington will help Indo-Pacific allies ‘deter aggression’, he tells security summit in Singapore
- He says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has ‘galvanised’ the world and undercut international order
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told a key security summit on Saturday that Beijing is getting “more coercive” in its territorial claims and Washington is committed to helping its allies in the Indo-Pacific defend themselves.
“We seek a region free of aggression and bullying, and we seek a world that respects territorial integrity and political independence,” Austin said. “That’s especially important as the [People’s Republic of China] adopts a more coercive and aggressive approach to its territorial claims.”
“Now our friends and partners also know that and they understand that smaller countries have a right to peacefully resolve disputes with their larger neighbours,” Austin said. “And I’m here because the rules-based international order matters just as much in the Indo-Pacific as it does in Europe.”
Austin said there had been an “alarming” increase in unsafe and unprofessional encounters between Chinese militaries and those of other nations.