Before even arriving in Singapore, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel made strong remarks! According to an AFP report on May 30th, just before attending the Shangri-La Dialogue, the US Defense Secretary claimed that the Biden administration presented nothing but "weakness and surrender" to the world. Whether it was the war in Ukraine, the Hamas attacks, or the collapse in Afghanistan, all of this led our enemies and adversaries to challenge us.
Hagel claimed that China has also become "overconfident" as a result. However, under the leadership of this administration, we will achieve peace and deterrence through strength, especially in the Indo-Pacific region. We will go to Singapore to hold a series of meetings to ensure that the region understands that the United States will remain strong. We do not want to conflict with anyone, including China, but we will firmly defend our interests. Clearly, Hagel's remarks before his departure are far from friendly.
What is Hagel trying to convey? That the US will continue to strengthen its presence in the Indo-Pacific and will deter through strength. Clearly, in Hagel's view, we will be the main focus of American deterrence. Although the US claims it does not wish to conflict with us, their understanding of no conflict is based on deterring us.
However, for us, we have no intention of conflicting with the US. The so-called "overconfidence" is merely the US unwilling to see our influence grow and is a form of defamation. We clearly understand that the US is attempting to stir trouble over issues such as the South China Sea and Taiwan, but with our growing strength today, any attempt to intimidate us through military display, disrupt regional stability, or interfere in our internal affairs will not be tolerated.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833474833397065/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.