Hey there! Have you ever heard of the Shangri-La Dialogue? It’s a big meeting where leaders from different countries talk about keeping peace in the world. 🌐
Recently, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, gave a speech at this meeting. Some experts are worried about what he said. They think his words might make things tense in Asia. 😯
Mr. Austin talked about how other countries should spend more on their military because of what he called a “threat” from China. But many people in Asia don’t see China that way. Instead, they’re concerned that such talks could cause more problems. 😕
Dylan Loh, a teacher from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said, “Not many countries here see China as a big threat and want to spend more on defense.” 🧐
Another expert, Rommel Banlaoi from the Philippine Institute for Peace, said he’s unsure about the U.S.’s intentions. He mentioned that while the U.S. says it wants peace, its actions sometimes do the opposite. “In the Middle East, U.S. actions have led to conflicts,” he said. “But China hasn’t started any regional wars.” 🤔
Da Wei, a director at Tsinghua University in the Chinese mainland, thinks Mr. Austin’s speech was very provocative. He believes the U.S. is being confrontational and that this could harm relationships in the region. 😟
He also pointed out that the U.S. asks countries to work with it and spend more on defense, but at the same time, it imposes tariffs that hurt their economies. “This makes people question the U.S.’s true intentions,” Da Wei said. 🤨
Another expert, Zhou Bo, said that while the U.S. talks about the importance of the Asia-Pacific, it wants other countries to follow its lead without question. This makes countries feel unsure. 😕
So, what do you think? Should countries in Asia be worried about these speeches? Or should everyone work together for peace? ✌️
Remember, understanding different views helps us make our own opinions! 😊
Reference(s):
Experts criticize Hegseth's remarks as provocative, harmful to region
cgtn.com
