US Will No Longer ‘Tiptoe’ Around Chinese Regime’s Behavior in Asia, Acting Defense Chief Says

Acting U.S. defense secretary Patrick Shanahan at the Shangri-la Dialogue, an annual Asia defence summit hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, in Singapore on June 1, 2019. Reuters/Feline Lim

The United States will no longer “tiptoe” around Chinese regime’s behavior in Asia that has threatened stability in the region, acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on June 1.

In his first major speech on the world stage, Shanahan did not directly name China when referring to “actors” destabilizing the region, but later said the United States would not ignore China’s behavior.