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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday that the increase in Chinese military activity near Taiwan apparently indicated a “repeat” in the country’s future intentions.
Austin made the comment during a chat with Fox News anchor Bret Baier at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, Calif.
Pointing out how China has launched several air operations near Taiwan in recent months, Baier asked Austin, “Do you think these are training flights for future operations? “
Austin noted that he did not want to speculate, but said, “Certainly it looks like they are exploring their true abilities. [are], and of course, it looks like a repeat. “
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FILE: In this undated file photo released by the Taiwan Ministry of Defense, a Chinese PLA J-16 fighter jet flies to an undisclosed location (Taiwan Ministry of Defense via AP)
Austin also asserted US dominance in the Pacific, telling Baier, “China is not 10 feet tall.”
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“America is a power of the Pacific,” said Austin. “The Indo-Pacific is a region of great opportunities and real challenges. One of these challenges is the emergence of an increasingly assertive and autocratic China. “
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin holds a briefing in Tbilisi on October 18, 2021. (Photo by VANO SHLAMOV /. Via.)
The Reagan Forum, which comes as China and Russia continue to build aggressive defenses unprecedented since World War II, included remarks from foreign policy experts and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who argue that the foreign policy of the Biden administration diminished the position of the United States on the world stage.
“We are facing a formidable challenge,” said the defense chief. “In war and in peace, we are always stronger when we work with our friends. “
Explaining that the United States will not force nations to choose between ties to the United States or China, he said the Biden administration seeks to strengthen deterrence against Chinese aggression against Taiwan, not to change the status quo in the region.
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Tensions between the United States and China have continued to escalate in the Indo-Pacific as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) prepares to “reunify” Taiwan with its mainland.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin listens to a question during a press briefing at the Pentagon, Wednesday, August 18, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo / Alex Brandon) (AP Photo / Alex Brandon)
Senior experts warned at the Reagan Forum that the United States’ position as a “partner of choice” among global allies has weakened since the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
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