US, Japan warn China against ‘coercion’

The US and Japan on Tuesday warned Beijing against “coercion and destabilizing behavior” after top-level diplomatic and defense talks aimed at strengthening its alliance against growing Chinese influence.

Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and top US diplomat Antony Blinken are on their first overseas trip, which began in Japan on Monday, looking to shore up regional alliances and send a message to Beijing.

They will continue in South Korea, and a policy review by the new administration of its approach to Pyongyang is also an important part of diplomatic outreach.

But discussions in Tokyo focused on China’s maneuvers in the region, including its increasing presence around the disputed islands with Japan.

“China uses coercion and aggression to claim human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Tibet in the South China Sea in violation of joint law, human rights abuses in the South China Sea, and maritime claims in the South China Sea.” .

“We are united in the vision of an independent and open Indo-Pacific region, where countries follow the rules, wherever they can and resolve their differences peacefully.”

“We will push back if necessary, when China uses coercion or aggression to get its way.”

In a joint statement, US officials and their Japanese counterparts also warned that “China’s behavior, where inconsistent with the current international system, presents political, economic, military and technological challenges”.

“Ministers committed themselves to coercion and destabilizing behavior towards others in the region,” he said.

Pyongyang’s comment

The coup issues in Myanmar were also on the way to proceed with North Korea. Mr Blinken accused the Myanmar army of “trying to reverse the results of the democratic election”, saying it was “brutally suppressing peaceful protesters”.

But he declined to comment on North Korea’s latest bombing announcement, where leader Kim Jong-un’s sister warned Washington on Tuesday that “are struggling to spread the smell of gunpowder from across the sea to our land” “.

The joint statement called for Pyongyang’s “complete militarization”, warning North Korea’s arsenal “a threat to international peace and stability”.

Mr Blinken said Washington was still investigating “whether various additional coercion measures can be effective, are there diplomatic avenues that make sense” as it reviews US policy on the issue.

“We reached out to the North Korean government through several channels, beginning in mid-February, including New York. To date we have not received any reply from Pyongyang. “Despite several attempts by the United States to engage, it is more than a year without active dialogue with North Korea.”

President Joe Biden’s decision to send the two top officials to Asia has been interpreted as evidence of his determination to set the agenda with Beijing.

Mr. Austin is also going to New Delhi after a visit to Seoul.