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Chinese leaders have repeatedly warned the United States' officials that Taiwan is an inseparable part of the mainland, and Beijing will not hesitate to start a war over the region.
The United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a face-to-face meeting for the first time with his counterpart from China, State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe in the midst of heightened tensions between the two countries over mutual remarks regarding the situation in Taiwan.
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U.S. President Joe Biden fueled tensions when he said in May that Washington would defend Taiwan if China were to attack the island. Two days later, China conducted a military drill near the island.
Speaking at the military leaders' meeting on Friday on the sidelines of the annual Shangri-La Dialog in Singapore, Austin said that the “U.S. remains committed to our longstanding one-China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three US-China Joint Communiqués, and the Six Assurances.”
According to a statement from the Pentagon, Austin also warned his Chinese counterpart that Beijing must “refrain from further destabilizing actions toward Taiwan.”
“Secretary Austin also raised concerns about statements by PLA officials that the Taiwan Strait is not international waters. Chinese officials have said that multiple times to the United States over the last several months, and that's deeply concerning,” the U.S. official said.
During a meeting with his US counterpart, China's Defense minister Wei Fenghe told US Defense chief Lloyd Austin that he hoped Beijing & Washington could build a healthy and stable relationship adding that the One-China principle is the political foundation of their relationship. pic.twitter.com/MFTrvTFyt1
— CGTN Global Watch (@GlobalWatchCGTN) June 11, 2022
Austin also asked his Chinese counterpart not to provide any material support to Russia, the official added. During the post-meeting press conference, Senior Col. Wu Qian insisted China had not provided Russia with material support. “China did not provide military assistance to Russia. That is for sure.”
However, Wu described the meeting, which last nearly an hour, almost twice as long as planned, as having a “good effect.” It was “candid” but "positive and constructive”, he pointed out.
Chinese leaders have repeatedly warned the United States' officials that Taiwan is an inseparable part of the mainland, and Beijing will not hesitate to start a war over the region.
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