US Poised To Deter Potential Conflict With China While Not Seeking Confrontation - Austin

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th July, 2021) The inherent competition between the United States and China stems from their rival military and economic statuses, and while Washington is not seeking confrontation with Beijing, it stands ready to deter any conflict, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday.

"We compete necessarily [with China] because we are two great economic powers, we both have impressive military might, but we do not seek conflict with China. We recognize that we will compete, we wanna make sure that we deter conflict in every case, in every opportunity," Austin said while speaking at the 40th International Institute for Strategic Studies Fullerton Lecture in Singapore.

America's competition with China is multi-faceted, encompassing military, economics, science and technology, according to the Pentagon chief.

"There will be a competition because we are two large countries with extremely large economies," Austin said.

Austin is on his introductory visit to Singapore, which will last until Wednesday, as part of a Southeast Asia tour. He met Singaporean Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen earlier in the day to discuss defense ties and cooperation in such areas as cyber-defense and strategic communications.

Next on Austin's itinerary are Vietnam and the Philippines.