Chinese language protection minister on U.S.-China tensions, Taiwan

SINGAPORE — China’s protection minister accused the U.S. of “smearing” Beijing and stated Washington is attempting to “hijack” international locations within the Indo-Pacific area.

Wei Fenghe, talking on the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, stated the burden of enhancing the troubled U.S.-China ties lies on Washington.

“We request the U.S. facet to cease smearing and containing China. Cease interfering in China’s inside affairs. The bilateral relationship can not enhance except the U.S. facet can try this,” he instructed delegates on the dialogue, Asia’s high protection convention.

“Nevertheless, in order for you confrontation, we are going to struggle to the tip. The 2 militaries ought to make constructive efforts for a constructive relationship,” Wei added.

Wei stated U.S. President Joe Biden’s new Indo-Pacific technique results in “battle and confrontation.”

The U.S. introduced its Indo-Pacific Financial Framework, or IPEF, in Might as a part of its technique for the area.  The IPEF entails 13 international locations and excludes China.

“To us, the technique is an try to construct an unique small group within the title of a free and open Indo-Pacific, to hijack international locations in our area and goal one particular nation,” Wei stated on the concluding day of the three-day dialogue in Singapore.

“It’s a technique to create battle and confrontation to include and encircle others,” he stated. “China seeks peace and stability, and isn’t an aggressor within the Indo-Pacific,” he stated, calling on the U.S. to “strengthen solidarity and oppose confrontation and division.” 

Through the summit, which has seen addresses by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. protection secretary Lloyd Austin, China has been pushing again in opposition to narratives of Chinese language aggression within the Indo-Pacific. 

Senior serving and retired Chinese language navy officers have held particular media briefings to counter the speeches by each Kishida and Austin.

Talking on Saturday, Austin had described the Indo-Pacific as a “precedence theater of operations” that lay on the “coronary heart of American grand technique.”  He known as the Indo-Pacific technique launched in February central to the Biden Administration’s forthcoming Nationwide Safety Technique and to his personal division’s Nationwide Protection Technique.

Austin sharply criticized Beijing’s more and more “coercive and aggressive” method to its claims within the Indo-Pacific — the place China is concerned in territorial disputes with a number of neighbors together with Japan, India, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia.

On Sunday, Wei additionally issued a terse warning on Taiwan, which China regards as a breakaway province that’s to be reunified with the mainland, by pressure as a final resort. China will struggle any makes an attempt by Taiwan to declare independence to the “final man,” he stated.  

“We are going to struggle in any respect prices and we are going to struggle to the very finish. That is the one alternative for China,” he stated.  “Those that pursue Taiwanese independence in an try to separate China will certainly come to no good finish.” 

“It’s China’s Taiwan, a province of China. We are going to understand the reunification of Taiwan,” Wei stated.

His speech got here a day after U.S. Protection Secretary Austin accused China of “provocative, destabilizing” navy exercise near the island.

The US is obliged  to offer the self-ruled island with the weapons and providers to defend itself underneath its Taiwan Relations Act.

Austin had asserted that it was China which was elevating the stakes. 

“We see rising coercion from Beijing. We have witnessed a gradual improve in provocative and destabilizing navy exercise close to Taiwan. And that features [People’s Liberation Army] plane flying close to Taiwan in file numbers in current months — and almost every day,” he stated.

China’s Wei additionally known as for talks between NATO and Russia to finish the Ukraine conflict. He stated China didn’t have a pact with Russia.

“It’s a partnership, not an alliance. Relations with Russia will proceed to develop. We now have not supplied any navy or materials assist to Russia” for its Ukraine conflict, Wei stated.