China has declared a “global catastrophe” in the event of its conflict with the United States

The head of the Chinese Defense Ministry, Li Shanfu, said at a conference in Singapore that China is aiming for a dialogue with the United States. He called the possibility of an open confrontation with Washington “an unbearable catastrophe for the whole world.”

At the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore, Li Shangfu clarified that despite all the differences in the US and Chinese systems, they should seek common interests and grounds for cooperation. At the same time, Li accused the US and its allies of trying to destabilize the situation in the Pacific region.

The minister mentioned that on Sunday morning, a Chinese warship almost collided with an American warship that was taking part in joint exercises with Canada in the Taiwan Strait. He called the military presence of the USA and Canada in these waters a provocation and said that if the USA does not want the conflict to escalate, it should withdraw its military vessels from China’s zone of interests.

This was Li Shangfu’s first major speech since he took up the post of defense minister in March. Just a few days ago, he refused to meet with his American colleague Lloyd Austin for direct negotiations.

Lloyd Austin, speaking at the same Singapore conference “Shangri-La Dialogue” on Saturday, said that if China starts military action against Taiwan, it will be a disaster for the world economy.

Austin said that he does not consider the conflict inevitable. In his opinion, the whole world is interested in the safety of navigation in the Taiwan Strait, and a war there would endanger all world trade. “For responsible leaders,” said Austin, “the right time for dialogue is any moment. This moment is now. Dialogue is not an indulgence, but a necessity.”

• The People’s Republic of China considers Taiwan part of its territory, calling the island a “rebellious province” that seceded in 1949. The Communist Party of China and the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, have announced “unification with Taiwan” as their “historic mission”, which they intend to fulfill – even with the use of military force if necessary.
• The United States does not recognize Taiwan as an independent state, as do most UN countries, but strongly opposes China’s threats to annex the island by force. According to the legislation, Washington can provide military assistance to the territories.
• Li Shangfu was appointed China’s defense minister in March. Since 2018, he has been under US sanctions due to his participation in the procurement of Su-35 fighters and missile systems from the Russian Rosoboronexport.
• Western countries express fears that China may start supplying Russia with weapons for the war in Ukraine, but there is no direct evidence of such supplies. However, in May, the European Union announced that it may impose sanctions on several Chinese companies for supplying Russia with electronics that can be used in the production of weapons. The Financial Times reported that PMC “Wagner” is buying equipment from China.