Gabbard Says US Speech At Shangri-La Summit Shows Commitment To Peace in Indo-Pacific

Authored by Catherine Yang via The Epoch Times,

Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, said on May 31 that the United States’ message to Indo-Pacific partners at the Shangri-La Summit was a message of peace.

“The overarching message is very consistent with what President Trump has been speaking about throughout his administration and his term in office, which is that he wants to be the president of peace,” Gabbard told Fox News from the summit.

She said the region contains many nations, each with complex histories, cultures, and needs that are full of nuance.

“There are over 40 countries who are present here, over 500 people, and that dialog, that diplomacy, that increasing of understanding between us as countries, is what is essential towards making progress towards that peace and stability, reducing the likelihood of misunderstanding, miscalculation and decisions being made based on either bad information or really just not understanding. Hey, what is the nuance that we need to see here that we may not be catching through the headlines?”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered a speech outlining the United States’ vision for the Indo-Pacific on May 31, emphasizing its “peace through strength,” approach.

Hegseth said that the United States is intending to build relationships with other nations that are of mutual benefit and respect for sovereign interests, and not of moralizing or dependency.

“We’re not here to preach to you about climate change or cultural issues. We’re not here to impose our will on you. We’re all sovereign nations. We should be able to choose the future we want to build,” he said. “On this shared foundation of mutual interest and common sense, we will build and strengthen our defense partnerships to preserve peace and increase prosperity.”

He shared the United States’ own commitment to defense, touching on initiatives such as the Golden Dome missile defense system and a 13 percent increase in defense spending, and reiterated the expectation that partner nations shore up their defenses as well.

“We are engaging with, enabling, and empowering our allies—sometimes with tough love, but love nonetheless,” he said. He added that the United States’ insistence that NATO allies own more of their own security has freed up the United States to focus on the Indo-Pacific, “our priority theater.”

These partnerships of “mutual interest” mean ambitious joint defense training as well as resilient supply chains for everyone, Hegseth said.

The defense secretary also called out the Chinese communist regime, highlighting its aggression in the Indo-Pacific, its attempts to “weaponize” the Panama Canal, the spy balloon it flew over the United States, cyberattacks on United States’ and other nations’ critical infrastructures, war games around Taiwan, among other aggressive actions. He also pointed out the absence of China’s defense minister from the summit.

“China seeks to intimidate you in your own waters,” he said. Hegseth reiterated that the United States did not “seek conflict,” but will not “be pushed out of this critical region … and be subordinated and intimidated.”

He acknowledged many Indo-Pacific nations see a need to balance their relationships with both China and the United States, but suggested the status quo would not hold.

“A threat gathers,” he said.

“We know that many countries are tempted by the idea of seeking both economic cooperation with China and defense cooperation with the United States. Now, that is a geographic necessity for many,” he said.

“But beware of the leverage that the CCP seeks with that entanglement. Economic dependence on China only deepens their malign influence and complicates our defense decision space during times of tension.”