China tells US it “will not hesitate to start a war” and “crush to pieces” any effort for Taiwan independence

Beijing’s defense minister warned his US counterpart that China “shatters any plot for Taiwan independence.”

China “will not hesitate to start a war” and “crush to pieces” any effort for Taiwan independence, its defense minister warned his American counterpart in the pair’s first face-to-face talks.

“If anyone dares to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will definitely not hesitate to start a war no matter what the cost,” Defense Minister Wei Fenghe said during a meeting with Lloyd Austin on Friday.

“The beach [People’s Liberation Army] would have no choice but to fight…and crush any attempt at Taiwan independence, while safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Despite the combative words, Wei said the talks with Austin “went smoothly.”

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore for almost an hour, double the time originally allotted.

The Chinese minister also vowed that Beijing would “smash to pieces any Taiwan independence plot and resolutely uphold the unification of the motherland,” according to the Chinese defense ministry.

“Taiwan is the Taiwan of China… The use of Taiwan to contain China will never prevail,” he said in a statement.

‘Operating behaviour’

Taiwan, a democratic and autonomous island, lives under the constant threat of an invasion by China. Beijing sees the island as its territory and has vowed to take it over one day, by force if necessary.

Austin told Wei that Beijing must “refrain from further destabilizing actions toward Taiwan,” the Pentagon said.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said most of the meeting focused on Taiwan and Austin reiterated that Washington’s position on Taiwan remained unchanged, while criticizing China’s “military aggression”.

“The United States has serious concerns about the rise of PLA behavior, particularly unsafe, aggressive, and unprofessional behavior, and is concerned that the PLA may be attempting to change the status quo through its operational behavior,” the official said.

A Chinese fighter jet dangerously intercepted an Australian military surveillance aircraft in the South China Sea region in May, and Canada’s military accused harassing chinese warplanes their patrol planes as they monitor North Korea’s sanctions evasions.

Although both sides say they want to better manage their relationship, Beijing and Washington remain polarized over a number of volatile security issues, from Taiwan’s sovereignty to China’s military activity in the south china sea and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Austin and Wei’s first face-to-face meeting comes as US President Joe Biden seeks to spend more time on Asia’s security issues after months Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The United States is Taiwan’s largest international supporter and arms supplier, a source of constant friction between Washington and Beijing.

In the latest weapons package, the US on Wednesday announced the sale of parts for Taiwanese naval ships at an estimated cost of $120 million.

During the meeting, Wei told Austin that the sale “seriously undermined China’s sovereignty and security interests,” according to state broadcaster CCTV’s military channel.

China has increased military activity near the island in the past two years, in response to what it calls “collusion” between Taipei and Washington.

authoritarian expansionism

Meanwhile, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said her country is determined to defend itself and is confident that this resolution “will unite other democracies to our cause,” vowing not to bow to pressure.

Taiwan says that only its people have the right to decide the future of the island. His government says that while it wants peace with China, it will defend itself if necessary.

Tsai said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has once again shown that “these regimes” will stop at nothing in pursuit of expansionist goals.

“While we see images from half a world away of the atrocities committed against another democracy on the front lines of authoritarian expansionism, I would like to emphasize that, like Ukraine, Taiwan will not bow to pressure,” he added, without directly mentioning China.