From June 10-12, the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue was held in Singapore for the first time since 2019. Continuously held in the same location since as a near annual affair, it has become a much-anticipated summit and a prime example of how honest, direct, and open dialogue can bring progress to highly complex cross-border issues.
General Wei Fenghe’s speech on behalf of the People’s Republic of China, given in Plenary Session 5 on June 12 and entitled “China’s Vision for Regional Order”, can be generally divided into four sections. It can also be understood as a response to Secretary Austin’s own speech.
First, General Wei explains Beijing’s commitment to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. He restates Beijing’s longtime view of creating a community of shared future regardless of the size or power of each country. To achieve that, Wei restates China’s commitment to seek peaceful development and co-existence during a period which he depicts as “neither peaceful nor tranquil”. Wei calls for countries to work together instead of “building a high wall around one’s turf”. The general also makes a sharp one-off comment on Secretary Austin’s remark the day before and bluntly said that China views the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy as “a strategy to create conflict and confrontation, to contain and encircle others.”
Second, General Wei uses this criticism of the U.S. approach to the Indo-Pacific region as an example to shift to his second major point: China’s view of the regional order. Wei emphasizes that China strongly opposes hegemony and power politics, instead emphasizing that global affairs should be handled through “consultation by all stakeholders, instead of being dictated by just one country or small group of countries.” To achieve so, the general discusses China’s commitment to building a new type of international relations, which is based on mutual respect, fairness, and justice and win-win cooperation to jointly promote the global-development initiative. Wei repeatedly states that China’s strong economic growth can be a power source for continuous development, noting that Beijing will continue to grow friendly and cooperative relationships with regional and global partners to achieve this goal.
After painting this picture, General Wei turns to the role of the Chinese military to help achieve China’s commitment and goals. General Wei starts by stating that China’s defense policy has been, and will also be, defensive in nature. Reminding the audience of China’s suffering over its 100-year period of humiliation, Wei implies that the People’s Republic of China will never proactively start a war against others or occupy other’s land, and that China will never seek hegemony or engage in military expansion or arms race. While specifying the role of the People’s Liberation Army, General Wei refers to his colleague Sun Jian Guo’s succinct explanation at the 2016 Shangri-La Dialogue:
We do not provoke troubles, but we will not flinch in the face of provocation. We do not bully others, but we will not allow others to bully us.
Last, General Wei discusses China’s positions on some of the key security issues in the Asia-Pacific region while highlighting China’s opposition of foreign interference—namely that of the United States—over these issues. Wei first singles out the issue of Taiwan and emphasizes that China views the issue as an internal affair of China and the reunification of China, in Beijing’s view, is inevitable. He warns that if anyone, especially foreign interference, dares to secede Taiwan from China, the Chinese military “will not hesitate to fight.” That being said, the general also restates that “peaceful reunification is the greatest wish of the Chinese people”, and that China has the utmost sincerity and willingness to achieve that goal.
The general then shifts to the South China Sea, commending the joint efforts between ASEAN countries and China to achieve greater stability in the area while noting that China does respect freedom of navigation under international law. Yet, Wei also warns that countries outside the region are attempting to meddle with regional stability in the South China Sea on the pretext of freedom of navigation. To ensure peace and stability in the area, General Wei calls on neighboring countries to work with China, strengthen mutual trust and settle any maritime disputes through friendly consultation.
Unlike Secretary Austin who reserves commenting on China until the end of his address, General Wei thoroughly and consistently details China’s grievances towards the United States’ activities and rejects the U.S. approach and vision in the Indo-Pacific region throughout his address. The general specifically calls out Washington for practicing power politics and dividing the world for its own hegemonic purposes.
For instance, in an apparent jab at Secretary Austin’s “common vision” of the Indo-Pacific region, which guided the making of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy, General Wei criticizes that the strategy is counterproductive to the peace- and stability-building in the Indo-Pacific region.
To us, the strategy is an attempt to build an exclusive small group in the name of a free and open Indo-Pacific, to hijack countries in our region and target one specific country. It is a strategy to create conflict and confrontation, to contain and encircle others. China holds that for any strategy to be valuable, it should adapt to historic and global trends and contribute to regional peace, stability and the shared interests of all.
The general also points to the U.S. for its interference in regional affairs such as the issue of Taiwan and the South China Sea. On the issue of Taiwan, Wei indirectly warns the U.S. against playing the ‘Taiwan card’ in its competition with China, stressing that the Chinese military will firmly defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Some countries have violated its promise on the One China principle as it applies to Taiwan. It has connived at and supported the moves of separatist forces for Taiwan independence. It keeps playing the Taiwan card against China. And it often cites the so-called Taiwan Relations Act, using its domestic law to interfere in the internal affairs of another country. China is firmly opposed to such acts. Here, I want to make it clear to those seeking Taiwan independence and those behind them: the pursuit of Taiwan independence is a dead end, and stop the delusion. And soliciting foreign support will never work. And they should never think about it.
On the South China Sea, General Wei criticizes the U.S. for “sending warships and warplanes on a rampage in the South China Sea.” He sees the U.S. meddling with the region as an imminent context for ASEAN countries and China to work together to avoid being divided and ‘played’ by the United States. In response to a question, Wei repeats this point and suggests that “[t]he South China Sea issue should be resolved by countries in the region” not by non-regional countries who are just “stirring up trouble.”
Despite these critical remarks, General Wei’s comments on the U.S. were not all negative in nature. For instance, he points out that the U.S.-China relationship is at a critical and crucial juncture and China does seek a peaceful and stable bilateral relationship. He highlights the need to build “guardrails”—a term and a concept which was agreed upon by President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping in both their November 2021 video conference and March 2022 phone call. In the security realm, the general concludes his speech by calling for a greater degree of U.S.-China military-to-military engagement to enhance better communication, avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation, and manage risks. He also made it clear that the engagement must be based on mutual goodwill, which he says is currently lacking on the U.S. side.
Both sides should implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state. At the request of President Biden, President Xi had a video conference and a phone call with him in November last year and March this year. The two leaders agreed that China and the U.S. should respect each other, live in peace and avoid confrontation. However, some people in the U.S. still try to suppress and contain China on all fronts. China’s position is very clear. If you want to talk, we should talk with mutual respect. If you want to engage, we should seek peaceful coexistence. If you want to cooperate, we should promote mutual benefits and win-win results. However, if you want confrontation, we will fight to the end.
