解放军代表英文质问美防长：这么做难道不矛盾吗？

"The theme of our plenary session here is US leadership. But how do you play the role of leadership? On the one hand, you claim to support the centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the region. On the other hand, the US established multilateral institutions such as QUAD and AUKUS. Is there any contradiction between US-led institutions and the centrality of ASEAN in the region? How can we guarantee ASEAN centrality?"

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad — a strategic security dialogue among Australia, India, Japan and the US — has been serving as a core mechanism in the US' "Indo-Pacific Strategy".

"The so-called Quad mechanism is, in nature, a tool to contain and circle China, and preserve America's hegemony," said Zhao Lijian in early 2022, who was then the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry. "It's a man-made provocation of confrontation that undermines the international unity and cooperation."

In the Asia-Pacific, the US has led the establishment of the Quad with Japan, Australia and India and the AUKUS security alliance with Australia and the UK. And Washington's "Indo-Pacific" Economic Framework for Prosperity excludes three of the 10 ASEAN member states, in a bid to create divisions within ASEAN. It is clear therefore that the US' actions are exacerbating confrontations and increasing the risk of a new Cold War, which could shatter global peace and harm global development, according to Zhang Chi, an associate professor at the National Defense University of China.

Based on a video clip posted on Twitter, Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin shook hands at the Shangri-La Hotel before the opening dinner, the first time the two have met since Li assumed office.