2023-06-04 21:23:48
- Writing
- BBC News World
Li Shangfu became China’s defense minister in March.
A war between China and the United States would be an “unbearable disaster” for the world, China’s defense minister said in his first major speech since taking office.
At a security summit in Singapore, el general Li Shangfu he also warned that “some countries” were escalating an arms race in Asia.
However, he considered that the world is big enough for the coexistence of powers like China and the US, so both nations they should seek a common understanding.
Li became the Chinese defense minister last March.
Until now he had not spoken widely on geopolitical conflicts, but in his first speech he accused the US of supporting a “Cold War mentality”.
This, he argued, was “greatly increasing security risks.”
His words come hours following The US accused China of carrying out “unsafe” maneuvers with a destroyer ship that passed near a US military vessel in the Taiwan Strait.
In the alleged friction, which occurred on Saturday, the Chinese vessel sailed regarding 140 meters away of the American, according to Washington. There were also boats from Canada there.
Faced with the accusations, China criticized North American countries for “deliberately provoking risks.”
The United States and Canada said they were sailing where international law allowed.
“A pretext”
General Li delivered a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in singapore, the region’s main annual security meeting of Asia and the Pacific.
In his message, he assured that China will not allow the naval patrols of the US and its allies to be “a pretext to exercise hegemony in navigation”.
image source, Archyde.com
Defense Ministers from Asia-Pacific countries participated in the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
When asked regarding the Taiwan Strait incident, he limited himself to noting that countries outside the region were increasing tensions.
He also criticized the establishment of “NATO-like” military alliances in the Asia-Pacific region.
“In essence, attempts to push NATO-like (alliances) in the Asia-Pacific are a way to hijack countries in the region and exaggerate conflicts and confrontations, which will only plunge the Asia-Pacific into a whirlwind of disputes. and conflicts,” Li said.
“Today’s Asia-Pacific region needs open and inclusive cooperation, and not associating in small cliques. We must not forget the grave disasters that the two world wars wreaked on the people of all countries, and we must not allow such a history to tragic repeat,” he added.
The general did not explicitly name any countries, but his words were taken as a reference to the United States, which has been shoring up alliances and partnerships in the region.
USA is a member of the AUKUS alliance, which groups it with Australia and the United Kingdom. Washington is also a member of the QUAD groupwhich includes Australia, India and Japan.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also participated in the Singapore summit.
Beijing has already rejected a US request for direct military talks as a protest once morest US sanctions imposed on Li in 2018 over arms purchases from Russia.
At the same summit in Singapore, the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austinchided China for refusing to hold military discussions.
Austin and Li shook hands and spoke briefly at the event’s opening dinner on Friday, but did not have a substantive exchange, according to reports from journalists at the event.
Relations between Washington and Beijing have been strained in recent years over various issues, including China’s claim on Taiwan and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
image source, Getty Images
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