Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.
Sheikh Qassem: The government’s latest decision [on the disarmament of the Resistance] is non-charter-based, and if the government continues down this path, it is not faithful to Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Pentagon comments on 'Asian NATO'

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 11 Jun 2022 21:23
5 Min Read

According to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Washington is not looking to establish an "Asian NATO" or incite conflict in the Indo-Pacific area, but rather to maintain calm.

  • x
  • Pentagon comments on Asian NATO
    US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin 

According to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Washington is not looking to establish an "Asian NATO" or incite conflict in the Indo-Pacific area, but rather to maintain calm.

Austin stated in a keynote lecture at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier security forum, that “the stakes are especially stark in the Taiwan Strait."

This comes amid China's repeated warnings against US military collaboration with Taiwan, which Beijing regards to be part of its territory, according to RT.

The Secretary of Defense emphasized that Washington's position toward Taiwan has not changed – the US is committed to the One-China policy and “categorically opposes any unilateral changes in the status quo.” As a result, he allegedly opposes the island's independence.

He claimed that any cross-strait differences must be resolved by "peaceful means”, adding that the US would "continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability." By assist, he means the approval of a fourth arms sale worth $120 million of "peaceful means" naval weaponry.

Austin stated that, despite China's "growing coercion" and "provocative and destabilizing military activity near Taiwan," the US is committed to "maintaining peace, stability, and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait," which Beijing appears to be threatening, as per Austin's claims. The top US official emphasized that maintaining peace is not just in Washington's interests, but also "a matter of international concern."

In a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, General Wei Fenghe, on Friday, Fenghe informed him that Beijing will "fight at all costs" to prevent Taiwan from seceding from China.

China "strongly condemned" Washington's approval of a $120 million arms sale to Taiwan just two days earlier, and has urged the parties to annul the agreement.

Chinese Foreign Ministry's Spokesperson, speaking at a routine briefing on Thursday, said the military shipments "seriously violate the one-China principle," damage China's sovereignty and security interests, and “severely harm China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."

Related News

Trump orders national guard expansion in Washington

Musk’s xAI sues Apple, OpenAI over antitrust collusion in AI market

Last month, the US President stated that the United States will defend Taiwan militarily if "China were to invade the island," warning that China is "flirting with danger." In return, China slammed the US pledge to "defend" Taiwan as "playing with fire."

In a meeting in Tokyo, when asked about whether the US will intervene militarily against a so-called "Chinese invasion", Biden said, "That's the commitment we made." 

"We agreed with the One China policy, we signed on to it... but the idea that (Taiwan) can be taken by force is just not appropriate," Biden said in a contradictory statement, as the One China policy states that Taiwan is a part of the sovereign mainland. "It will dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine."

China will 'not hesitate to start war' over Taiwan - MoD

Officials reported that China's Defense Minister warned his US counterpart Friday that if Taiwan declares independence, Beijing will "not hesitate to start a war."

Wu Qian, the spokesperson of the Information Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China, quoted Defense Minister Wei Fenghe as saying, "If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese army will definitely not hesitate to start a war no matter the cost," during a meeting with Lloyd Austin. 

Austin: US, Japan, South Korea willing to restrain North Korea's nuclear weapon ambitions 

According to TASS, Austin stated that the US, along with Japan and South Korea, is willing to deter North Korea from its nuclear ambitions. 

Austin stated that "as our National Defense Strategy notes, we all face a persistent threat from North Korea. The United States will always stand ready to deter aggression…," adding that North Korea's "habitual" missile testing is only deepening the security cooperation among the three. 

"Together, we’ll continue to strengthen our extended deterrence against nuclear arms and ballistic-missile systems," Lloyd added.

The South Korean news agency Yonhap claimed that day that North Korea tested eight short-range ballistic missiles aimed toward the Sea of Japan.

On Sunday, June 5, North Korea fired its 18th missile test since the start of 2022. Prior to that, the DPRK had renewed its testing activities after having paused them in 2017, due to the reemergence of combined US-South Korea joint exercises.

Read more: North Korea could test nuclear missile, US issues warning

  • United States
  • US Secretary of Defense
  • Lloyd Austin
  • Pentagon
  • Washington
  • Asia

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Displaced Palestinians walk through a makeshift camp along the beach in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)

Hamas, other factions accept Egypt-Qatar ceasefire proposal: Exclusive

  • Politics
  • 18 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS