China’s National Defense Minister Li Shangfu said that a clash between the US and China would be “an unbearable catastrophe for the entire world.” According to him, Beijing and Washington have different systems and differ in many other ways.
At the same time, Lee is confident that differences should not interfere with finding common ground and common interests for developing bilateral ties and deepening cooperation. He stated this during the Asian Security Summit in Singapore, Voice of America reports.
It is noteworthy that before the speech, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin addressed the summit and called on China to keep lines of communication between the two countries open. At the same time, the Minister of National Defense of China refused to meet with his counterpart from the Pentagon.
However, they shook hands on the sidelines of the summit. However, the Pentagon said there was no “substantial exchange” between US and Chinese officials. Austin said that constant communication between countries is necessary to avoid miscalculations that could lead to conflict.
“We do not seek conflict or confrontation. But we will not flinch in the face of bullying or coercion,” the US Secretary of Defense said.
Li Shangfu warned against building military alliances like NATO in the Asia-Pacific region, saying they could plunge the region into a series of conflicts. It should be noted that the Chinese defense minister’s comments came a day after US and Chinese warships approached each other in the Taiwan Strait hotspot, sparking anger on both sides.
Li said these alliances, like NATO, would plunge the Asia-Pacific region into a maelstrom of disputes and conflicts. He did not name a single country, but his comments echo China’s longstanding criticism of the United States seeking to strengthen alliances in the region.
It is known that the US is a member of the AUKUS alliance, which unites them with Australia and the UK. Washington is also a member of the QUAD group, which includes Australia, India and Japan.
Recall that a Chinese warship staged a provocation with the American destroyer USS Chung-Hoon. He approached the American ship by less than 150 meters. The incident occurred during a joint US-Canadian mission in the Taiwan Strait, which the Indo-Pacific Command said was in accordance with international law.
Earlier, the head of US national intelligence said that China is preparing a military scenario for Taiwan. China could potentially use weapons against Taiwan in order to “attach” to its composition the territory that official Beijing considers its own. The authorities of the country would prefer a diplomatic scenario, but they are also preparing a military one.
Source: Obozrevatel
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