The US is looking to build a version of it NATO in the Asia-Pacific region in order to maintain their hegemony in the region, a Chinese Defense Ministry official estimated today from Singapore.

The lieutenant general Jing Jianfeng He made the remarks on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual defense forum, during which US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hailed a “new era of security” for the region.

Austin said earlier today: “Despite historic conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific region remains our priority theater of operations.”

“I will be clear: the USA they can only be safe if Asia is safe,” the American minister emphasized. “For this reason the US has long maintained a presence in the region.”

Responding to Austin, Jing commented that US policy in the Asia-Pacific region aims to “create division, provoke conflict and undermine stability”.

“It only serves the selfish geopolitical interests of the US and is against the trend of history and the common aspirations of the countries of the region for peace, development and mutually beneficial cooperation,” he added.