The US military and government cyber agencies have remotely stolen more than 97 billion pieces of global internet data and 124 billion phone records in the last 30 days, which are becoming a major source of intelligence for the US and other "Five Eyes" countries, a latest cybersecurity report showed.
The report the Global Times obtained from Anzer, a cybersecurity information platform, on Monday, once again revealed the "black hand" operations of Tailored Access Operations (TAO), the cyber warfare intelligence agency under the US National Security Agency (NSA), which has been using advanced cyberattack weapons to indiscriminately "grab" data from internet users around the world.
An exclusive report published by the Global Times in May disclosed that China captured a spy tool deployed by the NSA, which is capable of lurking in a victim's computer to access sensitive information and was found to have controlled global internet equipment and stole large amounts of user information. The Trojan horse, "NOPEN," is a remote control tool for Unix/Linux computer systems. It is mainly used for stealing files, accessing systems, redirecting network communication, and viewing a target device's information.
According to internal NSA documents leaked by hacking group Shadow Brokers, "NOPEN" is one of the powerful weapons used by the TAO to attack and steal secrets.
Anzer's report revealed another weapon platform, "boundless informant," which is the NSA's exclusive big data summary analysis and data visualization tool system capable of colleting, managing and analyzing data around the world illegally obtained by NSA's remote control system.
According to terminal screenshots from the platform, the NSA has remotely stolen more than 97 billion pieces of global internet data and 124 billion phone records in the last 30 days.
A cybersecurity analyst told the Global Times on condition of anonymity on Monday that TAO is the largest and most important part of the intelligence division of the NSA.
Founded in 1998, the main responsibility of the TAO is to use the internet to secretly access insider information of its competitors, including secretly invading target countries' key information infrastructure to steal account codes, break or destroy computer security systems, monitor network traffic, steal privacy and sensitive data, and access to phone calls, emails, network communications and messages.
TAO also assumes an important role. When US president issues an order to disable or destroy communications networks or information systems in other countries, TAO will provide relevant cyberattack weapons, and the attacks will be carried out by the US Cyber Warfare Command, the report revealed.
According to the report, the various departments of TAO are composed of more than 1,000 active military personnel, network hackers, intelligence analysts, academics, computer hardware and software designers, and electronics engineers. The entire organizational structure consists of one "center" and four "divisions."
The "center" employs more than 600 people and is responsible for receiving, sorting and summarizing account passwords and important sensitive information stolen from around the world by network information systems controlled remotely by TAO.
"The NSA's global indiscriminate intrusion has long been supported by a vast and sophisticated network of weapons platforms, of which TAO is an important weapon maker. Some of these weapons are dedicated to the products of US internet giants such as Apple, Cisco and Dell, and have been developed with the support and full participation of these internet giants," the expert said.
Media reports showed some US internet giants have set up a special government affairs department to cooperate with the NSA in developing cyber attack weapons and provide the NSA with special backdoors and vulnerabilities. Internal information leaked by Edward Snowden showed these weapons could be used to conduct mass traffic monitoring and hacking on any internet user around the world.
According to publicly available information, most of the cyber attack weapons have already been handed over to the US and other "Five Eyes" countries.
The report also showed more than 500 code names for cyber attacks and data theft operations conducted by TAO have been disclosed, which proves that the US is a developed internet country in the world, as well as a major country in cyber intelligence collection and data theft.
In 2013, the US spent $52.6 billion on global intelligence gathering programs, of which two-thirds went to cyber security operations to carry out cyber attacks on foreign countries and domestic targets in the US.
A large number of TAO's cyber attack weapons have also been shared with some allied countries. Media reports showed that GCHQ, the UK's security and intelligence agency, has used NSA's cyberattack weapons to conduct long-term attack control and communications monitoring in the European Union.
"The US is taking highly engineered cyber weapons as the winning advantage in future cyber warfare, and is investing resources and increasing chips regardless of cost, bringing endless hidden dangers to global cyber security," the expert said.
THE Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) would like to remind members of the public to remain vigilant at all times to safeguard personal information. This includes avoiding downloading files or applications from unverified sources onto mobile devices.
ABM would like to draw the public’s attention to the safety measures recommended by the Malaysia Computer Security Response Team’s (MyCERT) security advisory, published recently.
Here are some of the safeguards recommended by MyCERT:
> Do not install any app or Android package kit (.apk) file from unknown sources. This is because it may be malware designed to steal your personal details and your online banking credentials.
> Do not click on adware or suspicious URLs sent through messaging services.
> Do not root or jailbreak your device.
> Verify an application’s permission settings and the application’s author or publisher before installing it.
> Only download apps from official sources.
> Do install antivirus software on your devices and run it regularly.
> Update your device’s operating system and apps regularly.
With cybercriminals and online fraudsters constantly changing their methods, ABM would also like to urge the public to remember the following:
> Never divulge your personal details and/or banking credentials to unknown or unverified parties.
> Never disclose your transaction authorisation code (TAC) or personal identification number (PIN) or your online login username and password to anyone.
> Never click on any links to banks’ websites that are sent from unknown, suspicious or unverified emails. Always key in your bank’s website address directly into the URL bar in your Internet browser or use your bank’s official mobile app.
> Avoid websites offering products at prices that are too good to be true and are littered with spelling mistakes – these tend to be fraudulent sites.
> Avoid using public or open WiFi networks for online banking.
> Always ensure that the banking website or banking app that you are using is genuine and official.
> Always refer to your bank’s official website or contact your bank’s hotlines (stated on the back of your credit card or on the banks’ websites) directly for information, verification and clarification when in doubt.
Bank account holders are also advised to monitor your statements as well as transaction alerts from the banks closely.
If you notice any unusual or suspicious transactions, contact your bank as soon as possible to report it. Next, lodge a report with the police. Thereafter, notify the bank in writing with a copy of the police report and all relevant records and documentation, such as transaction history, etc. Due investigation processes are in place to determine if the reported transaction is indeed unauthorised.
ABM would like to reiterate that member banks are required to adopt high standards of security, including for Internet and mobile banking services. Routine security reviews and advisories are also issued by Bank Negara Malaysia to financial institutions to ensure adequate protection against the latest threats.
The public are advised to keep informed of emerging threats through the advisories issued by financial institutions, Bank Negara Malaysia and other authorities to protect themselves. Information on the latest threats and measures that you can take to protect yourself against cybercriminals and online fraudsters can be obtained from abm.org.my/consumer-information/fraud-alerts.
THE Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) would like to remind members of the public to remain vigilant at all times to safeguard personal information. This includes avoiding downloading files or applications from unverified sources onto mobile devices.
ABM would like to draw the public’s attention to the safety measures recommended by the Malaysia Computer Security Response Team’s (MyCERT) security advisory, published recently.
Here are some of the safeguards recommended by MyCERT:
> Do not install any app or Android package kit (.apk) file from unknown sources. This is because it may be malware designed to steal your personal details and your online banking credentials.
> Do not click on adware or suspicious URLs sent through messaging services.
> Do not root or jailbreak your device.
> Verify an application’s permission settings and the application’s author or publisher before installing it.
> Only download apps from official sources.
> Do install antivirus software on your devices and run it regularly.
> Update your device’s operating system and apps regularly.
With cybercriminals and online fraudsters constantly changing their methods, ABM would also like to urge the public to remember the following:
> Never divulge your personal details and/or banking credentials to unknown or unverified parties.
> Never disclose your transaction authorisation code (TAC) or personal identification number (PIN) or your online login username and password to anyone.
> Never click on any links to banks’ websites that are sent from unknown, suspicious or unverified emails. Always key in your bank’s website address directly into the URL bar in your Internet browser or use your bank’s official mobile app.
> Avoid websites offering products at prices that are too good to be true and are littered with spelling mistakes – these tend to be fraudulent sites.
> Avoid using public or open WiFi networks for online banking.
> Always ensure that the banking website or banking app that you are using is genuine and official.
> Always refer to your bank’s official website or contact your bank’s hotlines (stated on the back of your credit card or on the banks’ websites) directly for information, verification and clarification when in doubt.
Bank account holders are also advised to monitor your statements as well as transaction alerts from the banks closely.
If you notice any unusual or suspicious transactions, contact your bank as soon as possible to report it. Next, lodge a report with the police. Thereafter, notify the bank in writing with a copy of the police report and all relevant records and documentation, such as transaction history, etc. Due investigation processes are in place to determine if the reported transaction is indeed unauthorised.
ABM would like to reiterate that member banks are required to adopt high standards of security, including for Internet and mobile banking services. Routine security reviews and advisories are also issued by Bank Negara Malaysia to financial institutions to ensure adequate protection against the latest threats.
The public are advised to keep informed of emerging threats through the advisories issued by financial institutions, Bank Negara Malaysia and other authorities to protect themselves. Information on the latest threats and measures that you can take to protect yourself against cybercriminals and online fraudsters can be obtained from abm.org.my/consumer-information/fraud-alerts.
Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe said on Sunday that it would be a historic and strategic mistake to insist on taking China as a threat and adversary, or even as an enemy.
Chinese Defence Minister on Taiwan, Nuke, Hypersonic, India, South China Sea and Vietnam!
Taiwan Independence Is a Dead-end! The Chinese Army Will Fight to the End!
Shangri-La Dialogue: Chinese military official calls US Defense Secretary's speech a "confrontation"
China will fight to the very end to stop Taiwan independence: Defence minister | Shangri-La Dialogue
China will "fight to the very end" to stop Taiwan from declaring independence, Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe said in a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Sunday (Jun 12).
"We will fight at all cost and we will fight to the very end. This is the only choice for China," General Wei said.
His speech came a day after US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said China was becoming "more coercive and aggressive" in its approach to its territorial claims in the region.
On Sunday, General Wei said Beijing firmly rejects the US' "smearing accusations and even threats" against China.
Global affairs should be handled through consultation by all stakeholders instead of being dictated by just one country or a small group of countries, he said, adding: "No one or no group of countries should impose its will on others or bully others under the guise of multilateralism."
General Wei said the United States' Indo-Pacific strategy is an attempt to build an exclusive small group in the name of a free and open Pacific to "hijack countries in the region and target one specific country". It is a strategy to "create conflict and confrontation to contain and encircle others", he said.
Chinese delegation says Indo-Pacific Strategy ‘fanning confrontation’ as US defense chief made ‘most barefaced’ Shangri-La speech attacking China
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 11, 2022. Photo:AFP
After Ukraine, US-led NATO wants to turn Asia Pacific into a new powder keg. Illustration: Carlos Latuff
US' Indo-Pacific Strategy is aimed at maintaining US hegemony, creating divisions and fanning confrontation, the Chinese delegation said, refuting US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's speech at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday as Austin took advantage of the stage to propagandize US' Indo-Pacific Strategy and to point finger at China.
Zhang Zhenzhong, deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department in the Central Military Commission, told reporters on Saturday at the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, that the Indo-Pacific Strategy is designed to trap the Asia-Pacific region into a geopolitical game and confrontation as it tries to form a small circle by roping in some countries to incite against others. It seriously impacts the ASEAN-centered regional cooperation architecture and seriously harms the overall and long-term interests of countries in the region, he added.
"The US has already turned the Middle East and Europe into a mess, does it want to mess up Asia-Pacific next?" Zhang asked, adding that this is absolutely not allowed.
Zhang said the US' strategy is designed to destroy peace. The mainstream voice of Asia-Pacific countries is peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, but the US, in contrast, advocates competition between major powers and creates military confrontation, sending warplanes to showcase its military might in the South China Sea, launching military drills with allies, which all created tensions in the region. In conclusion, Zhang said that strategy served US' own interests against the common will of the regional countries, and stressed that for these reasons it must not succeed.
Austin on Saturday gave an hour-long speech themed "Next Steps for the United States' Indo-Pacific Strategy," in which he called the strategy "our priority theater of operations" and "at the heart of American grand strategy."
He also openly criticized China for being "coersive and aggressive."
Austin specifically raised the Taiwan question. "The stakes are especially stark in the Taiwan Strait," he said, adding that US' policy on Taiwan was to remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo. "Our policy hasn't changed. But unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be true for the PRC," Austin noted.
Austin's rhetoric can be translated as the US opposes China's reunification, Song Zhongping, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times.
With this is mind, Song said that Pentagon and the White House are attempting to internationalize and complicate the Taiwan question, which is a matter of China's domestic affairs.
This mentality has been refuted by China in multiple occasions, including during the face-to-face meeting between China's State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe and Austin in Singapore on Friday.
There is only one China, and Taiwan is a sacred, inalienable part of China's territory, Wei told Austin, noting that if anyone dares to separate Taiwan island from China, the Chinese military will not hesitate to fight, and will resolutely crush any "Taiwan independence" attempts at all cost to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
On Saturday, Zhang also responded to Austin's hype over Taiwan question. Taiwan question is China's domestic affairs, the one-China principle is the political foundation of China-US ties, on which successive US governments have made clear commitments. President Joe Biden also stated that he does not support "Taiwan independence," but the US' words are obviously not matched by its deeds, and Washington has kept playing the Taiwan card, severely obscuring and hollowing out the one-China policy, Zhang added.
Zhang said that the Taiwan question can most likely lead China-US ties to conflict and confrontation. If not handled properly, it will have a subversive impact on the relationship between the two countries. There is only one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing the whole China. This is the only correct understanding of "one China." The reunification of China is the aspiration of Chinese people, and the national rejuvenation is unstoppable. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will stand ready to defend the country's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity at all costs.
Hyping PLA's intercepts
"We've seen an alarming increase in the number of unsafe aerial intercepts and confrontations at sea by PLA aircraft and vessels," Austin said in his speech.
In response to the remarks, Zhang said at the media briefing that the incident occurred near the maritime and airspace of China's Xisha and Nansha islands, not in the adjacent sea and airspace of US allies. The actions taken by the Chinese military are necessary measures to deal with the provocations, and are reasonable, safe and professional.
Prior to the Shangri-La Dialogue, China has already denounced Australian and Canadian "disinformation" over jet encounters. The two countries, however, turning a blind eye to the warnings from the Chinese side, kept carrying out close-in reconnaissance and provocative activities by surveillance planes in East and South China Seas. "This is a dangerous act against China's national security and the safety of Chinese and Canadian front-line personnel," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a Regular Press Conference on June 6.
These days, there has been analysis that the reason why Canada and Australia have not stopped hyping up the case is to create topics for the ongoing dialogue over Asian security, taking "China threat" theory to a new level.
He Lei, lieutenant general and former vice president of the PLA Academy of Military Sciences, who is attending the Shangri-La Dialogue, told Global Times that Austin's accusations against PLA's aircraft interception obviously aimed at endorsing Canada and Australia, reinforcing US-led small circles. Austin talks about "common vision" in Indo-Pacific region, but what Washington has shown is its clear-targeted and exclusive behaviors, He added.
Most barefaced accusations
Austin also hyped up territorial disputes in the Indo-Pacific region, naming East and South China Sea issues, and border disputes with India. "Indo-Pacific countries shouldn't face political intimidation, economic coercion, or harassment," Austin said. "We'll do our part to manage these tensions responsibly," he added.
Lieutenant General He said Austin's speech is the most blatant and most comprehensive slander against China compared to previous US defense chiefs' remarks at the summit, as this is the first time that a Pentagon chief raised Taiwan question, the South China Sea, the East China Sea issue, and China-India border dispute all at the same time.
Zhao Xiaozhuo, a research fellow at the Academy of Military Sciences of the PLA, told the Global Times that US real intention is to boost its alliance system, mobilizing its allies to maintain the US' versions of rules-based international order, shaping China's peripheral environment, piling enough pressure on China and eventually realize the containment of China's emergence.
Observers say Austin's speech mirrors that the US opposes everything China does to safeguard its own national security and interests. And it is largely due to incitement of outside forces, especially the US and its allies, contradictions and disputes in Indo-Pacific region come to where it is today.
By hyping up tensions and so-called China threat, the US is trying to drive a wedge between China and regional countries, while kidnapping more countries to its side to coordinate with its Indo-Pacific Strategy. And the US could paint itself as "entitled" to play the role as an arbitrator of the region, far away from its own soil, and take Asian affairs under its control, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times.
However, most Asian countries do not want to take a side in major power games. During the 2019 Shangri-La Dialogue, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong raised concerns, "Unfortunately, when the lines start to get drawn, everybody asks: Are you my friend or not my friend? And that makes it difficult for the small countries."
On the Taiwan question, the majority of regional countries refuse to dance to the US tune, as they are well aware that the US is an outsider, and has no right to intervene in China's domestic affairs, Wei said.
Hegemonic mentality
During the speech Austin brought up the so-called rules-based international order to cover US intentions. He took the Russia-Ukraine conflict as an example. "The Ukraine crisis poses some urgent questions for us all... And I am here because the rules-based international order matters just as much in the Indo-Pacific as it does in Europe," he said.
This is an arrogant, hegemonic mentality, Wei told Global Times. Wei said the so-called rules are not at all fair and square rules which are accepted by the international community, but a US-dominated one, in which the US is the one and only boss and other has to listen to it.
The Ukraine crisis is a proof that US-led rules have caused great harm to US allies and Europe as a whole. Not to mention the emerging energy and food crisis, increasing European countries are losing their diplomatic independence and autonomy, experts said.
During the ongoing Summit of the Americas, questions toward US-led rules-based orders are surfacing. It signals that be it Indo-Pacific regions or wider range of the international community, hypes of the US over so-called tensions will find fewer countries to join in the chorus, Wei said.
Although the US has this intention to shape events, and it has some followers like Japan, Australia and those who are far from the region like the UK and Canada, it's plan won't be realized, said Lü Xiang, an expert on international relations and US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
"Only the countries with enough power and strength, as well as the support from the most regional countries, are able to shape the strategic environment in a specific region. In the Asia-Pacific region, the US is not such a country, but China is," he said.
Although Austin outlined some ambitious plans in his speech, but it's questionable to all regional countries that to what extent the US can make its plan come true, experts said.
The countries named by Austin, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam all have stable and friendly ties with China. Even if there are some differences or disputes, they prefer to solve the problems with China rather than be blindly used by the US to pay for its costly confrontation with China, said analysts.
On Sunday, Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe delivered a keynote speech at
the Shangri-La Dialogue, elaborating "China's vision of regional order." He once again stated China's solemn position on the Taiwan question:
China will definitely realize its reunification, that peaceful reunification is the greatest wish of the Chinese people and that if anyone dares to secede Taiwan from China, it will not hesitate to fight and will fight at all costs.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Friday. Before
the curtain goes up, Japanese media reports have already sent a signal –
Kishida has come with ill intentions. .
Having developed its capabilities for over five decades, China's nuclear force has seen impressive progress, with new weapons and
the equipment displayed at the National Day military parade in 2019 all commissioned to the Chinese armed forces, said State Councilor and
Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe on Sunday.
Policemen carry out their duties for the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 10, 2022. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)\
Important topics on the agenda of the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue include China's vision on regional order, geopolitical competition control, and climate and maritime security.
SINGAPORE, June 11 (Xinhua) -- The 19th Shangri-La Dialogue, hosted by International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), opened here Friday evening after a two-year COVID-19 pandemic hiatus.
Leading the Chinese delegation to the dialogue, Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe will address a plenary session on Sunday.
He is expected to introduce China's policy, principles and actions on safeguarding true multilateralism, regional peace and stability, and building a shared future for humanity.
Wei, on the sidelines of the dialogue, are to meet heads of other delegations on international and regional situation, as well as bilateral cooperation on defense and security.
Important topics on the agenda of the dialogue include China's vision on regional order, geopolitical competition control, and climate and maritime security.
Since its launch in 2002 by the British think tank IISS with the support of the Singaporean government, the Shangri-La Dialogue, officially known as the Asia Security Summit, has been held annually except for 2020 and 2021.
■
Asean, global leaders discuss regional security after two years suspension - Delayed dialogue finally underway
Security check: A vehicle being screened before it enters Shangri-La Hotel while the dialogue gets underway in
Singapore. — Reuters
THE 19th Shangri-La Dialogue began here after a two-year suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic, focusing mainly on
security in the Asia-Pacific region and viable solutions, including the China-proposed Global Security Initiative (GSI).
The three-day summit will hold seven plenary sessions, two ministerial roundtable meetings and three simultaneous special sessions for delegates from more than 40 countries to exchange views on regional and global security issues.
Senior defence ministers from South-East Asia and the wider Asia region, Europe, North America and the Middle East are also expected to attend and speak at the Dialogue.
According to the agenda, Chinese State Councillor and Minister of National Defence Wei Fenghe will address a plenary session and is expected to introduce China’s policy, principles and actions on safeguarding true multilateralism, regional peace and stability, and building a shared future for humanity.
A highlight of the summit is China’s GSI, seen as another global public good that contributes Chinese solutions and wisdom to address global security challenges.
Analysts said the initiative’s implementation will attract enormous attention at the Shangri-La Dialogue.
“We look forward to welcoming Wei Fenghe to the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue and to hearing his views at this critical time for the regional and global security order,” said James Crabtree, executive director of the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies-Asia.
Mahmud Ali, associate fellow of the Institute of China Studies, University of Malaya, said China’s GSI can be interpreted as a step toward developing “a community with a shared future”.
The GSI views humanity as an indivisible, singular and united body sharing a single home planet, whose security affects every individual and society and therefore must be defended and advanced collectively, he said.
The expert believed that the vision has expanded the dimension of security from its “narrowly-defined political-military parameters” to “focus on the shared nature of planetary existence, dilute the emphases on divergences, and enable collaborative approaches to tackling trans-border challenges”.
Other topics for discussion include managing geopolitical competition in a multipolar region, the Myanmar situation, climate security and maritime security.
Meanwhile, analysts also cautioned that the United States may use Asia’s top security meeting this week to further pitch its Indo-Pacific Strategy, during which US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will make a speech titled “Next Steps for the United States’ Indo-Pacific Strategy.”
Senior Colonel Zhang Chi, an associate professor at the National Defence University of China, told Xinhua that the United States has spared no effort in implementing its Indo-Pacific Strategy to isolate China, divide Asian countries and undermine the central role of Asean in the region.
Additionally, Washington is trying to stoke tensions in the region by stirring up sensitive security issues involving Taiwan and the South China Sea to establish a “Nato for the Asia-Pacific” to encircle China, he added.
“Its purpose is to contain China’s
development, coerce or induce countries in the region to take sides with either China or the United States,” Zhang noted, adding that it will
“destroy regional solidarity and harmony and cause split, or even conflicts”. — Xinhua
China draws security red line to US at defense ministers’ longer-than-expected first meeting
Chinese and US defense chiefs hold their first face-to-face meeting in Singapore on June 10, 2022. Photo: Li Xiaowei
The Chinese military won't hesitate to fight anyone who dares to separate the island of Taiwan from China, China's State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe told US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during their first meeting in Singapore at the International Institute for Strategic Studies' (IISS) 19th Shangri-La Dialogue on Friday.
With the purpose to use Taiwan island and topics on the South China Sea to hype "China threat," the US seeks to build an iron curtain between China and other Asian countries and to implement its "Indo-Pacific Strategy" by rallying allies, analysts said, noting that China is drawing a bottom line by reiterating its firm stance on the Taiwan question.
After being canceled for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IISS 19th Shangri-La Dialogue is taking place in Singapore from Friday to Sunday. The talks between Wei and Austin on Friday were the first meeting between Chinese and US defense ministers since Austin took office in January 2021.
Topics on the island of Taiwan, South China Sea, and the Ukraine crisis had been discussed at the defense ministers' meeting.
Two Su-35 fighter jets and a H-6K bomber fly in formation on May 11, 2018. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force conducted patrol training over China's island of Taiwan on Friday. Su-35 fighter jets flew over the Bashi Channel in formation with the H-6Ks for the first time, which marks a new breakthrough in island patrol patterns, said Shen Jinke, spokesperson for the PLA air force.Photo:China Military
Two Su-35 fighter jets and a H-6K bomber fly in formation on May 11, 2018. Photo:China Military
There is only one China, and Taiwan is a sacred, inalienable part of China's territory, Wei told Austin, noting that if anyone dares to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will not hesitate to fight, and will resolutely crush any "Taiwan independence" attempts at all cost to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesperson at China's Ministry of National Defense, said at a press conference after the meeting..
Austin reiterated to Wei that the US remains committed to its longstanding one-China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three US-China Joint Communiqués, and the Six Assurances. However, he also "reaffirmed" opposition to "unilateral changes to the status quo," according to a press release from the US Department of Defense.
The Chinese defense minister's remarks stressed China's bottom line for the US as Washington has ramped up efforts to link the Russia-Ukraine conflict with the Taiwan question and create tensions in the region, analysts said. They lashed out at the US for taking "a sausage cutting" strategy to hollow out its one-China policy gradually and intensify the situation at the Taiwan Straits.
Analysts said the US is attempting to shift its EU allies' focus to the Asia-Pacific region and also consolidate its alliance in Asia.
Japan is the one that closely follows the US in using the current Russia-Ukraine crisis to hype the Chinese mainland's "threat" to the island of Taiwan. apanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida used the Russia-Ukraine conflict as an example to oppose "unilateral changes" to the status quo by force and unveil a plan to raise Japan's defense budget
The US and its allies have stepped up efforts to promote the implementation of the "Indo-Pacific Strategy" this year, as it is trying to build an iron curtain between China and others in the Asia-Pacific region, Yang Xiyu, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Friday.
Yang said that the biggest difference in this year's Shangri-La Dialogue is that the Asia-Pacific region is now facing an unprecedented strategic instability. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has spilled over to the world. NATO is going global, and Western countries have deliberately added fuel to the fire by linking Ukraine with Taiwan, which are irrelevant.
The US had built QUAD, AUKUS, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, but China decided to confidently face them or integrate into them, Yang said, pointing out that China's choice to send its top defense official this year at this sensitive time shows China's confidence and strategic focus, as well as China's strategic sincerity of pushing the Asia-Pacific to integration and cooperation standing at the crossroads.
Frank exchanges
Wei and Austin's meeting on Friday is of significance to implementing the important consensus between the two countries' top leaders and pushing forward the development of the two countries' military ties, said Senior Colonel Wu, noting the conversation was a frank, positive and constructive strategic communication.
Both sides agreed that the two militaries should carefully implement the key consensus reached by the two countries' top leaders, keep frequent communication and manage risks and crises, Wu noted.
The meeting between Chinese and US defense ministers is an exchange of views at this historic moment, as China pushes the region toward integration and cooperation and away from separation and Cold War, Yang said.
The significance of the meeting is that it proved the two countries' high-level conversation is sustainable. Even if the two sides crossed swords with words, being able to exchange views in a frank manner means both sides are willing to implement the consensus reached by the two countries' top leaders, Yang said.
The conversation between the Chinese and US defense ministers has a positive meaning to the deepening of strategic communication, the exploration in the construction of a "guardrail" for China-US relations, as well as the management of risk, Cao Yanzhong, a research fellow at the Academy of Military Sciences of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), told the Global Times on Friday.
When it comes to the "guardrail" for China-US relations the US wants to build, China has already drawn three bottom lines the US should not cross during the two countries' meetings in Anchorage and Tianjin. The US should keep its promises, stop making provocations on the Taiwan question, stop expanding and enhancing military alliances and partnerships in its attempt to "shape security environment of China," and stop trade sanctions and technology blockades, and take real actions to stabilize China-US relations and promote peace, Cao said.
However, as the US insists on defining the bilateral relations with major power competition, there are two options for such competition to evolve: it can escalate to conflict, or it can pave the way for cooperation, Zhang Yingli, former professor at the International College of Defense Studies at the PLA's National Defense University, told the Global Times on Friday.
The US military frequently carries out close-in reconnaissance and make provocations on China, and China's frontline troops have garnered rich experience and skills as they deal with them. This means Chinese troops can carry out their duties in safeguarding national sovereignty very professionally and avoid possible accidents that could lead to crises from happening as much as possible, Zhang said.
Analysts noted the US should also immediately stop arms sales to and military cooperation with the island of Taiwan, stop the highly frequent close-in reconnaissance on China as well as stop stirring up regional confrontation and security tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.
US' Indo-Pacific Strategy is aimed at maintaining US hegemony,
creating divisions and fanning confrontation, the Chinese delegation
said, refuting US ...
The Chinese military delegation engaged in a series of
dialogue and meetings with the US and other Asian countries including
South Korea and Singapore, as well as the leader of Singapore, during
the ongoing Shangri-La Dialogue, which successfully made clear China's
stance on safeguarding regional peace and its determination to defend
itself against all offensive attempts that could harm China's
sovereignty and national interests.
The Shangri-La Dialogue focuses on military security agenda, the
most sensitive area in relations between countries. This
US-Western-dominated forum has left a deep impression on people that it
has been targeting China. China sent its defense minister to ...
