A PLA major general leading the Chinese delegation at this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue has accused the United States of “destabilising the Asia-Pacific” – after US defence chief Pete Hegseth called for collective deterrence against what he characterised as Chinese aggression in the region.
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In a panel session at Asia’s premier annual security conference on Saturday afternoon, Hu Gangfeng, vice-president of China’s National Defence University, said Hegseth’s address earlier in the day involved “groundless accusations against China”.
This came after the US defence secretary claimed that China was “destabilising” the region as it “harasses its neighbours” in the South China Sea while rapidly building up its military.
Addressing Asia-Pacific defence chiefs in a morning session at the Singapore event, Hegseth also warned of a “possibly imminent” risk that the People Liberation Army (PLA) would take over Taiwan by force.
Hu said that some of Hegseth’s claims were fabricated and “aimed at stirring up trouble, creating division, inciting confrontation, and destabilising the Asia-Pacific”.
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“Some countries are promoting exclusive and confrontational small circles and [have] drastically increased their military presence” in the region, Hu said, adding that China was opposed to “the use of the Asia-Pacific waters as an arena for seeking hegemony”.