U.S. Defense Secretary's Speech at Shangri-La: 'De-escalation with China, Pressure on Europe'
The 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue was held in Singapore from May 29 to 31. Hosted by the UK's International Institute for Strategic Studies, the conference derives its name from being annually held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore and is regarded as a key platform for defense leaders to convey strategic signals.
According to foreign media outlets including Bloomberg, on the morning of the 30th local time, U.S. Defense Secretary Hoffman delivered a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue. While praising that current U.S.-China relations are "better than they have been in many years," he also stated that the United States will further strengthen cooperation with its allies in the Asia-Pacific region, with its regional strategy centered on "deterrence through denial along the first island chain."
The South China Morning Post noted that during his 25-minute speech, Hoffman maintained a firm stance toward China, yet showed less confrontational tone compared to last year. Notably, he did not proactively mention Taiwan, and evaded direct answers during the subsequent question-and-answer session.
However, when addressing allies, Hoffman took a firm tone, warning that "the era of riding America's coattails is over." He particularly targeted European nations and NATO allies, while commending Asian allies for "taking on greater defense responsibilities."
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866588197712903/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.