China hardening its position along boundary with India: US Defence Secretary

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, June 11

US Secretary of Defence, Lloyd J Austin, on Saturday said “Beijing continues to harden its position along the border that it shares with India”.

This is the second such observation by a senior US official within this week.

Austin was speaking on day two of the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue, taking place in Singapore.

Earlier on June 8, US Army’s Pacific Commanding General Charles A. Flynn, on a visit to India said infrastructure being created by China near its border with India in Ladakh is “alarming”, calling the Chinese activity in that region as “eye-opening”.

Today in Singapore, Austin speaking on expanding territorial claims of China, said “it’s especially important as the PRC (Peoples Republic of China ) adopts a more coercive and aggressive approach to its territorial claims.”

In the East China Sea, the China’s expanding fishing fleet is sparking tensions with its neighbors. In the South China Sea, the PRC is using outposts on man-made islands bristling with advanced weaponry to advance its illegal maritime claims, Austin said adding, “We’re seeing PRC vessels plunder the region’s provisions, operating illegally within the territorial waters of other Indo-Pacific countries.”

Speaking on expanding ties with India, Austin said the US was weaving closer ties with other partners. “I’m especially thinking of India, the world’s largest democracy. We believe that its growing military capability and technological prowess can be a stabilising force in the region.”

And last spring, the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group rotated through the Indian Ocean and did simultaneous joint operations with the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force that integrated airpower and anti-submarine warfare. The US and India are partners in the Quadrilateral or the Quad.

On the US-China ties, Austin said this includes fully open lines of communication with China’s defence leaders to ensure “we can avoid any miscalculations. These are deeply, deeply important conversations. And the United States is fully committed to doing our part.”

The Shangrila Dialogue is a unique platform for debate among government ministers and senior officials, as well as business leaders and security experts, on Asia’s developing security challenges.

The dialogue features plenary debates led by government ministers, as well as important opportunities for bilateral discussions among delegations.