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BEIJING (Reuters) – The Chinese army will act "at all costs" to thwart attempts to separate the autonomous island of Taiwan, claimed by Beijing, said Thursday the Minister of National Defense.
PHOTO FILE: Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe Addresses Defense Ministers of ASEAN Countries at Meeting at Defense Ministers' Meeting of Countries of ASEAN in Singapore, 19 October 2018. REUTERS / Edgar Su
Beijing has been exasperated by recent US sanctions on its military, one of many hot spots in Washington, including a fierce trade war, Taiwan's increasingly military stance and China's Southern China.
On Monday, the United States sent two warships into the Taiwan Strait during the second operation of its kind this year, the latest in a series of White House actions in favor of democracy in Taiwan. .
"The Taiwan issue is related to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and affects China's fundamental interests," Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe said at the opening of the meeting. Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, as part of the security conference of China forum in Singapore.
"On this issue, it is extremely dangerous to repeatedly challenge the net results of China. If someone tries to separate Taiwan (from China), the Chinese army will take the necessary measures at any cost. "
Sino-Taiwanese relations have deteriorated since the island's president, Tsai Ing-wen, of the Progressive Democratic Party at independence, came to power in 2016.
Beijing, which has never given up the use of force to place Taiwan under its control, has also been concerned about the opening of the United States to the island, such as the United States. new de facto embassy and enactment of a law encouraging visits by US officials.
The military ties between China and the United States are important and sensitive, Wei said, adding that China would never give up an inch of its territory.
Beijing has opposed demonstrations of force and provocation in the South China Sea by "nations outside the region" under the pretext of protecting freedom of flight and navigation, he added.
US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis told his Chinese counterpart that the world's two largest economies needed to deepen their relations at the highest level in order to overcome tensions and limit the risk of conflict inadvertently.
Mattis was able to see firsthand how friction between Sino and the United States could undermine military contacts when Beijing canceled plans to meet Wei in October.
China has been irritated by the US sanctions imposed on its army for buying weapons from Russia and by what Beijing sees as a reinforcement of US aid to democracy in Taiwan, which it claims as a sacred territory.
China also expressed concern after US President Donald Trump announced that Washington would withdraw from a historic Cold War era treaty that eliminated nuclear missiles from Europe. because Russia violated the pact.
China is not party to this treaty, but Trump also suggested that the Beijing military force played a role in its decision, which China has described as "completely false".
Report of Ben Blanchard; Written by Christian Shepherd; Edited by Clarence Fernandez and Michael Perry
