[By Guancha Net, Qi Qian] In the morning of May 31st local time, US Secretary of Defense Higgenbotham, while attending the 22nd Asian Security Summit (also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, abbreviated as "Shangri-La") in Singapore, repeatedly mentioned China, sowing discord among the representatives present at the conference in an attempt to create division.

Higgenbotham also appealed for increased defense spending by European and Asian allies so that the US could focus on affairs in the "Indo-Pacific" region.

In response, the South China Morning Post stated that US officials are attempting to unite against China, but the Trump administration, which has initiated a trade war since taking office, has lost credibility globally. A Chinese scholar attending the conference told the Lianhe Zaobao of Singapore that Higgenbotham's latest remarks were "highly provocative," but they only raised issues rather than provided answers, making them "unreliable."

Higgenbotham delivered a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue on the morning of May 31st. Video screenshot.

According to Pentagon website and Reuters reports, Higgenbotham outlined the Trump administration's security strategy for the "Indo-Pacific" region during his speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, dedicating a significant portion of his over 30-minute address to hyping up the so-called "China threat."

Throughout the entire speech, Higgenbotham's objective was clear: portray the US as the "good guy" and China as the "bad guy."

Higgenbotham began by hypocritically emphasizing the importance of alliances, claiming that the future of the US and "Indo-Pacific" allies is closely linked, then falsely accusing China of issues like the South China Sea and Taiwan.

He claimed that the US does not seek conflict or "humiliate" China, but will not be driven out of this critical region nor allow allies and partners to be subjugated or intimidated. He accused China of intending to "use force to change the regional balance of power," and claimed this would have "devastating consequences."

"There is no need to sugarcoat it; the threat posed by China is real and potentially imminent," Higgenbotham continued to falsely claim that if the US's deterrence strategy towards China proves ineffective, in the face of possible armed conflict, the US and its allies must be prepared with "urgency and vigilance," and the US should be prepared to "fight and achieve decisive victory."

Higgenbotham once again discussed the issue of rebuilding regional deterrence capabilities. He said that the US is working on this through three means: improving forward deployment of forces, helping allies and partners strengthen their defense capabilities, and rebuilding the defense industrial base between the US and allied nations.

After repeatedly sowing discord, Higgenbotham revealed his true intention: urging allies to increase defense spending.

Higgenbotham declared: "NATO member countries have committed 5% of their GDP to defense, and even Germany is no exception. Therefore, it makes no sense for Asian countries to reduce defense spending when facing stronger threats."

After the speech, Higgenbotham spoke to European allies, suggesting that countries focus on security in Europe so that the US can concentrate on the so-called "China threat" in the "Indo-Pacific" region. "We hope that most investments from Europe will be concentrated in our own region, so that... we can utilize our comparative advantages as an 'Indo-Pacific' nation to support our partners here."

Higgenbotham met with Singapore Prime Minister Wong Weng Koi. Lianhe Zaobao.

It was introduced that the current Shangri-La Dialogue opened on the evening of May 30th and will continue until June 1st, with more than 550 participants from over 40 countries and regions, including political figures, defense officials, and scholars. Higgenbotham, French President Macron, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar, East Timor President Ortiz, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kallas, and other political figures attended the meeting.

Vice President and Director of Education of the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army, Hu Gangfeng, led the Chinese delegation to attend the dialogue and will participate in the third thematic session titled "Maritime Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region" on May 31st.

On May 29th, Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang stated that China has always actively participated in all types of constructive dialogues, explaining China's concepts and initiatives, communicating and exchanging views with various parties, building mutual trust, resolving doubts, and deepening cooperation to jointly contribute wisdom to the construction of a human community with a shared future. This participation by the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army delegation will involve in-depth exchanges with all parties and effectively consolidate consensus.

Previously, an American official told Reuters that Higgenbotham would outline his views on US defense policy in the "Indo-Pacific" region at the Shangri-La Dialogue.

The report stated that during his first few months in office, Higgenbotham focused mostly on domestic issues, resisting what he called the "diversity, equality, and inclusion policies" within the military, and targeting the media. On this visit to Asia, he will attempt to hype up to defense leaders in the region - that "the US is a more trustworthy partner than China in Asia." However, there remain many questions about the Trump administration's commitment to the region.

An unnamed senior US defense official claimed: "Higgenbotham will explain to Asian allies why the US is a better partner than China." Another senior US defense official, when discussing the anxiety of Asian allies, frankly admitted: "Certainly, some people feel uncertainty, and sometimes I think it's reasonable to describe it as concern."

On May 31st, the South China Morning Post also reported that Trump's tariff policies have shaken the trust of US allies in the "Indo-Pacific" region. At the same time, Trump's skeptical attitude toward transatlantic alliances has caused European countries to drift apart from the US.

According to the Lianhe Zaobao report, Da Wei, director of the Center for Strategic and Security Studies at Tsinghua University and professor of international relations, told reporters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue that, in his view, Higgenbotham's speech was "highly provocative but lacks credibility."

Da Wei believed that compared to the previous US administration, Higgenbotham's comments on China were "more confrontational and provocative." "But I think a major difference from the previous administration is that the audience will have many questions, and he did not provide answers... There is a contradiction between what the US says and does, and he cannot bridge it, which is the biggest challenge he faces today."

This article is an exclusive contribution by Guancha Net and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7510504068779885092/

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