SINGAPORE: The United States and itsallies traded barbs with China at Asia’s premier securitymeeting on Saturday, especially on Taiwan, but the war inUkraine and a remote speech by President Volodymyr Zelenskiydominated proceedings.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier told theShangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that Washington will do itspart to manage tensions with China and prevent conflict eventhough Beijing was becoming increasingly aggressive in theregion.

Zelenskiy, speaking via video link from an undisclosedlocation in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, told the delegates thattheir nations’ support was crucial not just to defeat theRussian invasion, but to preserve the rules-based order.

“It is on the battlefields of Ukraine that the future rulesof this world are being decided along with the boundaries of thepossible,” he said.

He noted that Russia is blocking ports in the Black Sea andAzov Sea, keeping Ukrainian food exports from the world market.

“If … due to Russian blockades we are unable to export ourfoodstuffs, the world will face an acute and severe food crisisand famine in many countries in Asia and Africa,” he said.

China and the United States, which have clashed in recentmonths over everything from Taiwan and China’s human rightsrecord to its military activity in the South China Sea, wereagain at odds.

Austin and Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe met on Fridayand reiterated they want to better manage their relationship butthere was no sign of any breakthrough in resolving differences.

Austin said the United States would continue to stand by itsallies, including Taiwan.

“That’s especially important as the PRC (People’s Republicof China) adopts a more coercive and aggressive approach to itsterritorial claims,” he said.

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own and has vowed totake it by force if necessary.

Austin said there had been an “alarming” increase in thenumber of unsafe and unprofessional encounters between Chineseplanes and vessels with those of other countries.

Australia has said a Chinese fighter aircraft dangerouslyintercepted one of its military surveillance planes in the SouthChina Sea region in May, and Canada’s military has accusedChinese warplanes of harassing its patrol aircraft as theymonitor North Korea sanction evasions.

Taiwan has complained for years of repeated Chinese airforce missions into its air defence identification zone, andAustin said these incursions had surged in recent months.

Lieutenant General Zhang Zhenzhong, a senior Chinesemilitary officer, called Austin’s speech a “confrontation”.

“There were many unfounded accusations against China. Weexpressed our strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition tothese false accusations,” Zhang, vice chief of the joint staffdepartment of China’s Central Military Commission, toldreporters.

“The United States is trying to form a small circle in theAsia-Pacific region by roping in some countries to inciteagainst some other countries. What should we call this otherthan confrontation?”

Closed-door meeting

Earlier this year, Washington said China appeared poised tohelp Russia in its war against Ukraine.

But since then, U.S. officials have said while they remainwary about China’s longstanding support for Russia in general,the military and economic support that they worried about hasnot come to pass, at least for now.

Ng Eng Hen, the defence minister of host Singapore, said theties between China and Russia were discussed at a closed-doormeeting of the ministers on Saturday, and that several delegateshad asked Beijing to do more to rein in Moscow.

The defence minister of Japan, one of Washington’s closestallies in Asia, told the meeting that military cooperationbetween China and Russia had sharpened security concerns in theregion.

“Joint military operations between these two strong militarypowers will undoubtedly increase concern among other countries,”Nobuo Kishi said at the Singapore meeting.

Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand also spoke out againstChina.

“The interceptions by the Chinese of our (aircraft) are veryconcerning and unprofessional and we need to ensure that thesafety and security of our pilots is not at risk, especiallywhen they are simply monitoring as required underU.N.-sanctioned missions,” Anand told Reuters in aninterview.

New Zealand voiced concern about Chinese attempts to gaininfluence in the Pacific islands.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said it wasreasonable to expect China to make clear it did not support theinvasion of a sovereign country in violation of the U.N.Charter.

“That China has not done so should give us cause forconcern, especially given the investments it is making inmilitary power,” he said at the meeting.