CHINESE Foreign Minister Wang Yi has accused the United States of “stirring up confrontation” in the Asia Pacific, declaring as a “security risk” Washington’s plan to form an Indo-Pacific alliance, seen as a strategy to encircle Beijing. Wang issued the statement on Tuesday, following his meeting with his Malaysian counterpart, Hishammuddin Hussein, during which he also highlighted China’s leadership in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, and urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to work together to prevent “external disruptions.”
All countries of the Asia-Pacific region ought to pay serious attention to the timely warning of the Chinese Foreign Minister as US policies are bound to create unrest and instability in a region that is well set on the path of progress and development. No one would object if the United States or any other country of the world enters into cooperative ventures with the countries of the region but the United States has dubious intentions and policies. The United States not only dropped two nuclear bombs on Japan but also has remnants (troops) of aggression there and has a policy of continued sanctions against North Korea. Wang has rightly likened the emerging US-led alliance to NATO in Europe saying what the US is doing could “mark the beginning of a dangerous and slippery” step. The United States is claiming to counter China but the way it is doing so reminds one of its cold war mentality. China’s leadership believes in cooperation and co-existence whereas the United States believes in tools like use of force and regime change, which are nothing but flagrant violations of universally recognized principle of peaceful co-existence. The way China has dealt with the issue of coronavirus has also confirmed its status as global leader. Asia-Pacific nations have clear choices – join cooperative ventures of China for mutual good or form dubious alliances with United States that could disrupt their march on road to progress and prosperity.
