China’s newly appointed Defense Minister, General Li Shangfu, delivered a significant speech underscoring the catastrophic consequences a war between China and the United States would bring to the world. Speaking at a security summit, General Li criticized the escalating arms race in Asia, attributed to “some countries.” However, he emphasized the need for China and the US to seek common ground and peacefully coexist, acknowledging that the world is vast enough for both superpowers.
These remarks followed an incident where the US accused a Chinese destroyer of engaging in unsafe maneuvers near an American warship in the Taiwan Strait. The US Navy reported that the Chinese destroyer operated in an unsafe manner during its transit with Canadian vessels. China, in response, criticized both countries for deliberately provoking risks and maintained that their actions were within the boundaries permitted by international law.
General Li, who assumed the role of Defense Minister in March, accused the US of harboring a “Cold War mentality” and highlighted the significant security risks that such a mindset poses. He made it clear that China will not tolerate US and allied naval patrols being used as a pretext for asserting navigation hegemony.
Regarding the Taiwan Strait incident, General Li only mentioned that tensions were being escalated by countries from outside the region. These views were expressed during his speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, the annual security meeting held in Singapore, known as the premier gathering for security discussions in the Asia-Pacific region.
Significantly, China has rejected a US request for direct military talks, which came as a response to the US imposing sanctions on General Li in 2018 for weapons purchases from Russia. While US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin criticized China for refusing military discussions at the Singapore summit, there was a brief encounter between General Li and Gen Austin during the opening dinner of the event. However, no substantial exchange reportedly took place.
Amidst these diplomatic tensions, a senior US State Department official has arrived in Beijing for a week of comprehensive talks. The relationship between Washington and Beijing has experienced strain in recent years due to various issues, including China’s claim over Taiwan and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
