Beijing continues to “harden its position” along the border that it shares with India, U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin said on Saturday while stating that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) adopts a more “coercive and aggressive approach” to its territorial claims. Mr. Austin also asserted that Indo-Pacific is their “priority” theatre of operations and is at the “heart” of American grand strategy.
“In the East China Sea, the PRC’s expanding fishing fleet is sparking tensions with its neighbours. In the South China Sea, the PRC is using outposts on man-made islands bristling with advanced weaponry to advance its illegal maritime claims. We’re seeing PRC vessels plunder the region’s provisions, operating illegally within the territorial waters of other Indo-Pacific countries,” Mr. Austin said speaking at the 19th Shangri-La dialogue in Singapore organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “And further to the west, we see Beijing continue to harden its position along the border that it shares with India.”
