(Central News Agency) US Defense Secretary Austin warned today that China and Russia are pursuing a world that resorts to force to resolve disputes; he also vowed that the United States will continue to defend humanitarian principles and international law.

"Beijing, like Moscow, is seeking a world where might makes right and disputes can be settled through force," Lloyd Austin said at the Halifax International Security Forum (HFX) in Canada, Agence France-Presse reported. A world where even dictators can put out the flames of freedom.”

Please read on...

Austin said Moscow's war on Kyiv "underscores the challenges we face in the Indo-Pacific region, where (China) is also pushing something that runs counter to the vision of a free, stable and open international system."

Austin noted that China's activities around Taiwan are "increasingly provocative," with Beijing's aircraft flying near the island almost every day and conducting dangerous intercepts of U.S. and allied aircraft.

Washington has now touted China and its efforts to reshape the Indo-Pacific region as the most significant challenge facing the United States.

The U.S. National Defense Strategy released last month also said Russia's invasion of Ukraine represented an "imminent threat" from Moscow that Washington was grappling with.

Austin combined both challenges in his speech today, saying that if one country breaks the rules with impunity, others will follow.

He said, "There are still rules in war that must be followed. If a powerful country can blatantly violate the rules, it is tantamount to encouraging other countries to disregard international law and international norms."

Austin also emphasized that Moscow's enlistment of countries such as Iran and North Korea has brought new security challenges to the United States and its allies.

Austin said that Ukraine is facing a difficult winter, and Moscow may consider using nuclear weapons because the Russian army is losing ground on the battlefield.

He also promised that the United States and its allies will work together to assist Uzbekistan in meeting the challenges.

"The Russian invasion is a preview of a world of tyranny and instability that none of us want to live in," Austin said. 1111120