Chinese defence minister Dong Jun cautioned on Sunday that his military is prepared to "forcefully" halt Taiwan's independence, while also calling for increased dialogue with the United States. The comments were made during an annual security forum in Singapore, following the first substantial in-person discussions between the two countries' defence chiefs in 18 months.
Dong declared to the forum on Sunday, "The Chinese People's Liberation Army has always been an indestructible and powerful force in defence of the unification of the motherland, and it will act resolutely and forcefully at all times to curb the independence of Taiwan and to ensure that it never succeeds in its attempts." He added, "Whoever dares to split Taiwan from China will be crushed to pieces and suffer his own destruction."
Dong emphasized that China has always been receptive to exchanges and cooperation, but stressed that both sides must meet halfway. He expressed the belief that more exchanges are necessary precisely because of the differences between the two militaries. The meeting between Dong and US defense secretary Lloyd Austin lasted over an hour at the luxury hotel hosting the forum, which is attended by defence officials from around the world and has recently been viewed as an indicator of US-China relations.
After the meeting, Austin announced that telephone conversations between US and Chinese military commanders would resume "in the coming months," while Beijing praised the "stabilizing" security relations between the two nations. This year's Shangri-La Dialogue takes place a week after China conducted military exercises around self-ruled Taiwan and warned of war over the US-backed island following the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing has labeled a "dangerous separatist."
The Biden administration and China have been increasing communication to reduce tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing and Shanghai last month, focusing on resuming military-to-military dialogue to prevent disputes from escalating.
China halted military communications with the US in 2022 following then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. Relations have been further strained by incidents such as the downing of an alleged Chinese spy balloon over US airspace, meetings between Taiwanese and US officials, and American military aid to Taipei.
China has also expressed anger over the US's deepening defence ties in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly with the Philippines, and the regular deployment of US warships and fighter jets in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. Beijing views these actions as part of a prolonged US strategy to contain it.
(With inputs from agencies)
