US and China engage in war of words at Singapore summit

WAR OF WORDS: There was a moment at the opening dinner of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore Friday night when it appeared the chill might be thawing between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Gen. Li Shangfu, who had rebuffed Austin’s entreaty to meet privately on the sidelines of the security conference.

Both men were smiling as Austin approached Li at his table to say hello. “The two leaders shook hands, but did not have a substantive exchange,” said Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder in a statement. From there, things turned frosty again.

In his Saturday morning speech, Austin protested what he called “aggressive and unprofessional” intercepts of U.S. and allied aircraft “flying lawfully in international airspace” and accused the Chinese of “coercion and bullying.”

“To be clear, we do not seek conflict or confrontation, but we will not flinch in the face of bullying or coercion,” Austin said. “Now, all of this is especially important in the Taiwan Strait.”

ENCOUNTER ON THE HIGH SEAS: Almost on cue, China demonstrated its disdain for U.S. “freedom of navigation” flights and ship transits by provocatively sailing one of its warships directly in the path of an American destroyer and Canadian frigate in the strait.

“In accordance with international law, USS Chung-Hoon and HMCS Montreal conducted a routine south to north Taiwan Strait transit June 3 through waters where high seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply,” the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement. The U.S. 7th fleet released a video showing the Chinese ship overtaking the Chung-Hoon on its port side, crossing its bow at 150 yards, and forcing the U.S. ship to slow to 10 knots to avoid a collision.

The maneuver was executed “in an unsafe manner” and “violated the maritime ‘rules of the road’ of safe passage in international waters,” INDOPACOM said.

“As a former sea captain of a similar US destroyer, it almost made my heart stop to watch this video,” said retired Adm. James Stavridis, former supreme NATO commander, on Twitter. “This is wildly unprofessional and provocative behavior on the part of the Chinese Navy. Wars start with incidents like this. Shame on the PLA Navy.”

LI: ‘SOME COUNTRY’ IS INTERFERING: In his Sunday morning speech, Li professed China’s desire for “world peace” and the “wellbeing of people in the Asia Pacific,” but quickly pivoted to pointed criticism of the United States, which he referred to as “some country.”

“Who is disrupting peace in the region? What are the root causes of chaos and instability? And what should we stay vigilant and guard against?” Li said. “Some country has willfully interfered in other country’s internal affairs and in the affairs of other countries and frequently resorted to unilateral sanctions, incursion with force. It has incited color revolutions and proxy wars in different regions to create chaos and turbulence and just walked away leaving a mess behind.”

And Li restated China’s goal of forcing Taiwan to become part of mainland China, as directed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. “China must be and will be reunified,” he said. “We will strive for the prospects of peaceful reunification with at-most sincerity and greatest efforts, but we make no promise to renounce the use of force … We will fear no opponents and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, regardless of any cost.”

“It is undeniable that a severe conflict or confrontation between China and the U.S. will be an unbearable disaster for the world,” Li said while blaming the U.S. for diplomatic relations between the two nations falling to “at record low.”

“The world is big enough for countries including China and the U.S. to grow together,” he said.

AUSTIN: ‘THE TIME TO TALK IS NOW’: Austin remains frustrated that relations are at such a low point the Chinese won’t even talk to him. “I am deeply concerned that the PRC has been unwilling to engage more seriously on better mechanisms for crisis management between our two militaries,” he said in his remarks. “Make no mistake: conflict in the Taiwan Strait would be devastating.”

“For responsible defense leaders, the right time to talk is anytime … and the right time to talk is now. Dialogue is not a reward. It is a necessity,” he said. “A cordial handshake over dinner is no substitute for a substantive engagement. And the more that we talk, the more that we can avoid the misunderstandings and miscalculations that could lead to crisis or conflict.”

“The whole world has a stake in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the whole world. The security of commercial shipping lanes and global supply chains depends on it,” Austin said. “Our policy is constant and firm. It has held true across U.S. administrations. And we will continue to categorically oppose unilateral changes to the status quo from either side.”

COTTON: ‘EMBARRASSING AND PATHETIC’: “Biden administration officials should stop chasing after their Chinese communist counterparts like lovestruck teenagers. It’s embarrassing and it’s pathetic,” said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) on Fox News Sunday. “In fact, it projects weakness to China. It encourages them to do things like buzz our aircrafts or come within a few hundred yards of our ships. It encourages them to send spy balloons floating all across America.”

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HAPPENING TODAY: Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Summit at 9 a.m. Livestream at http://www.state.gov

ALSO TODAY: President Joe Biden meets at 1:30 p.m. with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at the White House. Denmark is one of NATO’s founding members, and today’s meeting comes ahead of next month’s leaders summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, where Ukraine’s eventual membership in the alliance is expected to be a major topic of discussion

On Thursday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visits the White House for consultations as Ukraine’s long-promised counteroffensive seems imminent.

BRITISH PM SUNAK PREPARING FOR UPCOMING TALKS WITH BIDEN

STOLTENBERG: ‘SWEDEN HAS FULFILLED ITS OBLIGATIONS’: The U.S. and NATO have been pressing Turkey to lift its block on Sweden’s bid to become the 32nd member of the transatlantic alliance.

Yesterday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg paid a personal visit to lobby Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to congratulate him on reelection to another five-year term and argue it’s time to admit Sweden to the club.

“Turkiye has legitimate security concerns, no other ally has faced more terrorist attacks,” said Stoltenberg, using Erdogan’s preferred pronunciation of the country’s name. “Sweden has taken significant, concrete steps to meet Turkiye’s concerns. This includes amending the Swedish constitution, ending its arms embargo, and stepping up counter-terrorism cooperation, including against the PKK. Important new anti-terrorism legislation has come into force just a few days ago, so Sweden has fulfilled its obligations.”

Turkey and Hungary have yet to ratify Sweden’s application to join NATO. “It is still time to make that happen by the Vilnius summit,” Stoltenberg said that another meeting on the matter is set for a week from today.

ZELENSKY: ‘WE ARE READY’: In the latest sign Ukraine is closer to launching a major counteroffensive to retake territory captured by Russia in the south and east, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave an interview to the Wall Street Journal in which he said he can’t wait any longer for more Western equipment to arrive.

“In my opinion, as of today, we are ready to do it,” Zelensky told Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker in Odesa last week. “We would like to have certain things, but we can’t wait for months. We strongly believe we will succeed. I don’t know how long it will take.”

Zelensky said Ukraine’s Western allies seem to fear Russian President Vladimir Putin more than Ukraine does. “His constant Soviet-style threats about nuclear weapons, all of these are signs of a weak man. And that’s how we have to act. A cornered animal, he is afraid of losing his life. He must be afraid of the strength of the world. He understands power. If we are talking about the isolation of the Russian Federation and his circle of people, then it is necessary to do it powerfully.”

US OFFERS ‘TO BUILD A UKRAINIAN MILITARY OF THE FUTURE’ AS PUSH FOR NATO STALLS

UKRAINE MOD: ‘PLANS LOVE SILENCE’: In its latest psychological ploy to rattle the Russians, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry over the weekend released a 35-second video with no soundtrack, featuring Ukrainian troops holding a finger to their lips in the gesture for silence.

“Words are very unnecessary, They can only do harm,” tweeted Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, invoking lyrics from the Depeche Mode song “Enjoy the Silence.”

The video, which seems intended to signal the counterattack could happen at any time, ends with the tagline: “Plans love silence. There will be no announcement of the start.”

PUTIN RACES TO BUILD VIP BOMB SHELTER IN MOSCOW

BLINKEN: NO ‘POTEMKIN PEACE’: In a major speech Friday in Helsinki, Finland, Secretary of State Antony Blinken outlined the Biden administration’s vision of what would constitute an acceptable end for the Ukraine war, rejecting any ceasefire that would allow Russia to keep the territory it has seized.

“Now, over the coming weeks and months, some countries will call for a ceasefire. And on the surface, that sounds sensible – attractive, even. After all, who doesn’t want warring parties to lay down their arms? Who doesn’t want the killing to stop?” Blinken said. “But a ceasefire that simply freezes current lines in place and enables Putin to consolidate control over the territory he’s seized, and then rest, re-arm, and re-attack — that is not a just and lasting peace. It’s a Potemkin peace. It would legitimize Russia’s land grab. It would reward the aggressor and punish the victim.”

A “just and lasting peace,” Blinken said, “must uphold the U.N. Charter and affirm the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence … requires Ukraine’s full participation and assent .. and must support Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery, with Russia paying its share.”

The speech may be remembered for one zinger Blinken delivered in which he mocked the Russian military for its disastrous performance in the war so far, calling it “a case study in failure.”

“President Putin spent two decades trying to build Russia’s military into a modern force, with cutting-edge weaponry, streamlined command, and well-trained, well-equipped soldiers,” he said. “The Kremlin often claimed it had the second-strongest military in the world, and many believed it. Today, many see Russia’s military as the second-strongest in Ukraine.”

A NEW START MUST INCLUDE AN END TO RUSSIAN DECEPTION

The Rundown

Washington Examiner: British PM Sunak preparing for upcoming talks with Biden

Washington Examiner: Government shutdown fight still on the table: House Republican

Washington Examiner: Chinese defense leader defends ‘unsafe’ military maneuvers towards US military

Washington Examiner: US offers ‘to build a Ukrainian military of the future’ as push for NATO stalls

Washington Examiner: Putin races to build VIP bomb shelter in Moscow

Washington Examiner: Chinese envoy to Ukraine urges countries to ‘stop sending weapons’ to Kyiv

Washington Examiner: Lloyd Austin and Chinese counterpart speak briefly at Asia security summit

Washington Examiner: Biden team hopes to bring Russia and China to table for nuclear arms control talks

Washington Examiner: ‘Sonic boom’ heard in DC area caused by authorized DOD flight, officials say

Washington Examiner: Editorial: A New START must include an end to Russian deception

New York Times: Patrols Near China Will Go On, U.S. Says

CNN: Biden Will ‘At Some Point’ Meet With China’s Xi Jinping, Top White House Official Says

Breaking Defense: US, Japan, South Korea Announce Push to Boost Missile Defense Data Sharing

AP: Russia claims Ukraine is launching major attacks; Kyiv accuses Moscow of misinformation

Washington Post: NATO-Trained Units Will Serve As Tip Of Spear In Ukraine’s Counteroffensive

AP: U.S. Navy Says Iran Revolutionary Guard Fast-Attack Boats ‘Harassed’ Ship In Strait Of Hormuz

Washington Post: Taliban’s Power Center Appears To Be Shifting To Kandahar

Military Times: After Debt Fight, Congress Turns Its Attention to Defense Budget

Defense News: Defense Innovation Unit Eyes First Flight of Hypersonic Testbed

Defense One: USAF Calls Killer-AI Report ‘Anecdotal’

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Top Space Force General Visits Europe to Explore How to Operate Within NATO

Military.com: Gen. Amrhein Takes Over Air Force Recruiting as Service Scrambles to Add Airmen

Marine Corps Times: Marines Release Specs For High-Tech Next-Gen Combat Utility Uniform

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Coming in 2024: Patrick Space Force Base Picked for STARCOM Headquarters

Space News: Northrop Grumman Gets $80 Million Air Force Contract for Satcom Experiments

Breaking Defense: Air Force Claims ‘Fantastic’ Relationship with Boeing on T-7A after Scathing GAO Report

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Clearing the Air on Lavelle

Air & Space Forces Magazine: How Many Airmen Does It Take To Run An F-35 Gas Station?

19fortyfive.com: China Is Playing a Game of Dangerous ‘Chicken’ with the U.S. Military

19fortyfive.com: Will the Space Force Become a Political Football?

19fortyfive.com: Putin Has a Problem: Russia’s Military Is a ‘Paper Tiger’

19fortyfive.com: Opinion: Three Cheers for the New U.S. Marine Corps, None for the Old

Calendar

MONDAY | JUNE 5

9 a.m. 1000 H St. NW — American Israel Public Affairs Committee 2023 Policy Summit, with remarks from Secretary of State Antony Blinken at https://www.aipac.org. Livestreamed at http://www.state.gov

10 a.m. 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Navy Memorial wreath-laying ceremony in honor of the 81st anniversary of the Battle of Midway

11:30 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “Beyond chatbots: How the U.S.-China tech race will define AI’s future,” with Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL); Klon Kitchen, nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; Dahlia Peterson, research analyst at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology; Christabel Randolph, law fellow at the Center for AI and Digital Policy; and David Spirk, senior counselor at Palantir Technologies https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/beyond-chatbots

1 p.m. — Cato Institute virtual forum: “The Pernicious Surveillance Legacy of 9/11,” with Patrick Toomey, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union National Security Project; Faiza Patel, co-director of the Brennan Center for Justice Liberty and National Security Program; Carrie Cordero, senior fellow and general counsel at the Center for a New American Security; and Patrick Eddington, senior fellow at Cato https://www.cato.org/events/pernicious-surveillance-legacy-9-11

TUESDAY | JUNE 6

8 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual conference: “American Power and Purpose,” with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg; U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith; and Bonnie Jenkins, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security affairs https://conference.cnas.org/

1 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “American Foreign Policy and World Affairs,” with Kurt Campbell, White House National Security Council coordinator for the Indo-Pacific https://www.hudson.org/events/dialogues-american-foreign-policy

1:30 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion on “Australia’s expanding role in the Indo-Pacific,” with Australian Ambassador to the U.S. Kevin Rudd; and Anthony Pratt, chairman of Visy and Pratt Industries https://www.csis.org/events/conversation-ambassador-kevin-rudd

3 p.m. — Brookings Institution event: “Securing global mobility: A conversation with Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, 14th commander of the US Transportation Command,” with Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow and director, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings; and Air Force Col. Jason Wolff, federal executive fellow, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings https://connect.brookings.edu/register-to-watch-securing-global-mobility

WEDNESDAY | JUNE 7

8:45 a.m. 137 National Plaza, Oxon Hill, Maryland — Defense Strategies Institute two-day Smallsat and Space Access Summit, with Derek Tournear, director, Space Development Agency; Lt. Gen. Phillip Garrant, deputy chief of space operations, strategy, plans, programs, and requirements; Maj. Gen. John Olson, mobilization assistant to the chief of space operations; and Col. Edward Ferguson, deputy director, space and missile defense https://smallsat.dsigroup.org

9 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “Building capability and capacity under budget constraints, and the critical importance of America’s Airmen in great power competition,” with Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chief of staff of the Air Force https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/event

9:30 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies and Vrije University’s Center for Security, Diplomacy, and Strategy Transatlantic Dialogue on the Indo-Pacific, with Kurt Campbell, National Security Council coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs; Gunnar Wiegand, managing director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service; Shihoko Goto, deputy director of the Wilson Center’s Asia Program; Yuki Tatsumi, director of the Stimson Center’s Japan Program; and Jeffrey Hornung, senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation https://www.csis.org/events/csds-csis-transatlantic-dialogue

10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “The Stakes at Sea: America’s Commercial, Scientific, and Naval Roles in a Changing Global Landscape,” with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday; Margaret Leinen, director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography; and Peter Levesque, president of CMA CGM America and American President Lines https://www.brookings.edu/events/the-stakes-at-sea

12 p.m. — New America virtual book discussion: The Return of the Taliban: Afghanistan After the Americans Left, with author Hassan Abbas, professor of international relations at National Defense University https://www.newamerica.org/international-security/events

1 p.m. — Cato Institute virtual forum “Domestic Terrorism Versus Constitutional Speech,” with Mike German, fellow at New York University’s Center for Justice; Robert Pape, director of the University of Chicago’s Project on Security and Threats; Thomas Berry, research fellow at Cato; and Patrick Eddington, senior fellow at Cato https://www.cato.org/events/domestic-terrorism-versus-constitutional-speech

3:30 p.m. 2301 Constitution Ave. NW — U.S. Institute of Peace discussion: “The Impact of the War in Ukraine on Russian Civil Society: A View Inside and Outside Russia,” with Yevgenia Albats, journalist in residence at New York University’s Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia; Joshua Tucker, director of New York University’s Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia; and Angela Stent, senior adviser at the USIP Russia and Europe Center https://www.usip.org/events/impact-war-ukraine-russian-civil-society

4:30 p.m. — Advanced Nuclear Weapons Alliance Deterrence Center virtual forum: “Strategic Nuclear Deterrent Modernization,” with Rob Wittman (R-VA), vice chairman, House Armed Services Committee https://www.eventbrite.com/e/us-congressman-rob-wittman

THURSDAY | JUNE 8

7 a.m. 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Virginia — Potomac Officers Club 2023 Cyber Summit, with David McKeown, principal deputy defense CIO https://potomacofficersclub.com/events/poc-2023-cyber-summit/

8:30 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Why Taiwan Matters,” with Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK); and Victor Cha, CSIS Korea chairman https://www.csis.org/events/why-taiwan-matters

8:45 a.m. 137 National Plaza, Oxon Hill, Md. — Defense Strategies Institute Smallsat and Space Access Summit, with Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, U.S. Space Force deputy chief of space operations, strategy, plans, programs, and requirements https://smallsat.dsigroup.org/

9 a.m. 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. SE — PunchBowl News discussion: “National security and foreign relations,” with Senate Appropriations Committee ranking member Susan Collins (R-ME); Jill Albertelli, president for military engines at Pratt & Whitney; Andrew Desiderio, senior congressional reporter at Punchbowl News; Anna Palmer, founder and CEO of Punchbowl News https://events.punchbowl.news/pop-up_collins

9:30 a.m — Center for a New American Security virtual conference: “American Power and Purpose,” with Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs; and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) https://conference.cnas.org/

7 p.m. — Institute for the Study of War virtual briefing: “The critical next phase of the war between Russia and Ukraine,” with Jennifer Cafarella, ISW director of strategic initiatives; and Mason Clark, ISW Russia team lead https://events.zoom.us

FRIDAY | JUNE 9

6 p.m. 2500 Calvert St. NW — Intelligence and National Security Alliance 38th William Oliver Baker Award Dinner “to posthumously honor Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart, former deputy commander of the U.S. Cyber Command and former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency,” with Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Dimitri Henry, director for intelligence, the Joint Staff; and Letitia Long, chairwoman of the INSA Board of Directors https://www.insaonline.org/detail-pages/event