China’s defense minister called on the US for dialogue, not conflict
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Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu said at the summit in Singapore that China is aiming for a dialogue with the United States. He called the possibility of an open confrontation with the USA “an intolerable disaster for the whole world.”
Li Shangfu clarified that despite all the differences in the US and Chinese systems, they should look for common interests and grounds for cooperation. At the same time, he accused the USA 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 United States and Canada in the waters near China a provocation and said that if the United States does not want the conflict to escalate, it should withdraw its warships from China’s zone of interests.
This was Li Shangfu’s first major speech since taking office as 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 summit “Shangri-La Dialogue” on Saturday, also admitted that if China starts military action against Taiwan, it will be a disaster for the world economy. He emphasized that the US supports the independence of Taiwan.
- The PRC considers Taiwan part of its territory and regards the island as a rebellious province that broke away 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 carry out – if necessary – with the use of military force.
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