US is building ‘exclusive’ club to confront, contain China
By Mike Yeo
Jun 12, 09:42 AM
SINGAPORE — China’s defense minister has slammed America’s approach to the Indo-Pacific region, calling it “a strategy to create conflict and confrontation, to contain and encircle others.”
Speaking at a plenary session at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Gen. Wei Fenghe said the strategy is “an attempt to build an exclusive, small group in the name of a free and open Indo-Pacific” and to hijack regional countries to be used to target “one specific country.”
Wei also defended China’s development and growth at the event, which was hosted by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies and took place June 10-12. China is building up its military strength and has created artificial islands, despite international pressure. He noted that the country’s progress was not achieved through colonialism and is not a threat.
As a juxtaposition, he pointed to China’s provision of COVID-19 vaccines to countries around the world, deployment of personnel for U.N. peacekeeping missions and contribution toward anti-piracy efforts around Africa.
https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2022/06/12/us-is-building-exclusive-club-to-confront-contain-china/
