China will “fight to the end” to prevent Taiwan from declaring its independencethe Chinese Defense Minister said on Sunday, at a time when tensions on the island are escalating with the United States.
This is the latest dispute between world powers over Taiwan, the self-governing, democratic island that Beijing considers part of its territory pending reunification, by force if necessary.
“We will fight at any cost and we will fight to the end. This is the only option for ChinaMinister Wei Fenghe said at the Shangri-la Dialogue, a security forum in Singapore. “Those who pursue Taiwanese independence in an attempt to separate China will definitely meet a bad end,” he said.
Those who pursue Taiwanese independence in an attempt to separate China will definitely meet with a bad end.
“No one should ever underestimate the resolve and ability of the Chinese military to safeguard its territorial integrity“, he added.
His speech came a day after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin accused China of “provocative and destabilizing” military activity near Taiwan. Wei urged Washington “stop smearing and containing China […] stop interfering in China’s internal affairs and stop harming China’s interests.”
But the minister struck a more conciliatory tone in some respects, calling for a “stable” relationship between Washington and Beijing, which he called “vital for global peace.” During his speech, Austin also expressed his willingness to keep “lines of communication” with Chinese officials open.
The pair held their first face-to-face talks on Friday on the sidelines of the summit in Singapore, where they clashed over Taiwan.
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USA accused of “ramming”
Tensions between China and the United States over the island have increased due to increasing Chinese air raids on Taiwan’s air defense zone.. On a visit to Japan last month, US President Joe Biden appeared to break decades of US foreign policy when, in response to a question, he said that Washington would defend Taiwan if it came under attack from China.
The White House has since insisted that it has not changed its policy of “strategic ambiguity” about whether or not it would intervene. The dispute is just the latest of many between Washington and Beijing, whose discussions range from the South China Sea to human rights in Hong Kong and Xinjiang. China claims almost all of this resource-rich sea, through which trillions of dollars in maritime trade pass annually.competing with claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
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The Asian giant, whose historic claims were rejected in a landmark Hague ruling in 2016, has been accused of flying its planes and sailing its ships near the shores of its rival claimants. In addition, he is accused of intercepting air patrols in international airspace in a dangerous manner. Wei insisted on Sunday that China respects freedom of navigation on the seas, and struck a covert blow at Washington.
“A great power has long practiced navigational hegemony under the guise of freedom of navigation (…) has shown its strength by sending ships and warplanes on a rampage in the South China Seahim,” he said.
Wei also pointed out that China, North Korea’s main ally, wanted peace on the Korean peninsula, after Pyongyang’s rocket fires broke sanctions and raised fears about North Korea’s preparation for a nuclear test. “The key to (solving) the problem now is to pay attention to and meet the security interests of all parties,” he said.
On his side, South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup indicated that Seoul would boost its defensive capabilities and work with the United States in the face of the threat from its northern neighbor. “The level of tensions on the Korean peninsula remains higher than anywhere else in the worldthe South Korean minister said at the Shangri-la Dialogue on Sunday. The United States and China have also clashed over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Washington accusing Beijing of providing tactical support to Moscow.
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