China defends US warship making noise in Taiwan Strait, accuses US of provoking China

China’s defense minister defended a warship’s crossing in the path of a US destroyer and a Canadian frigate transiting the Taiwan Strait, telling global defense officials gathered in Singapore on Sunday. So-called “freedom of navigation” patrols are illegal. provocation to China.

In his first international speech since taking office as defense minister in March, General Li Sang Bok said at the Shangri-La Dialogue that China had no problem with “harmless passage” but that “any attempt to exploit that freedom would be It must be stopped,” he said. To exercise navigation (patrol), its harmless route, navigational supremacy. “

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin At the forum on Saturday, the U.S. government said it was “undaunted by bullying and coercion” from China, regularly sailing to counter Beijing’s broader territorial claims and to emphasize that the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea are high seas.・He said he intends to continue flying. .

On the same day, a US missile destroyer and a Canadian frigate were intercepted by a Chinese warship while passing through the strait between mainland China and the autonomous island of Taiwan, which China claims as its territory. The Chinese ship overtook the U.S. vessel and turned across its bow in a “dangerous fashion” at a distance of 150 yards, according to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

Furthermore, the United States states: Chinese J-16 fighter Late last month, it “performed an unnecessarily aggressive maneuver” while intercepting a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane flying head-on over the South China Sea.

These and previous incidents have raised concerns that an accident could occur that could lead to escalation between the two countries amid already heightened tensions.

Lee suggested that the United States and its allies created the danger and should instead focus on “adequately managing our airspace and waters.”

“The best thing to do is for countries, especially naval ships and fighters of other countries, not to take closed actions around other countries’ territories,” he said through an interpreter. “What’s the point of going there? In China, we always say, ‘Do your own thing.'”

In a wide-ranging speech, Li reiterated many of Beijing’s well-known positions, including its claims to Taiwan, calling it “the core of our core interests.”

He accused the United States and others of “interfering in China’s internal affairs” by supplying Taiwan. defense support and trainingand conduct high-level diplomatic visit.

“China will continue to adhere to the path of peaceful development, but will never hesitate to protect its legitimate rights and interests, let alone sacrifice its core national interests,” he said.

“As the famous Chinese song says, ‘When friends come to visit, we welcome them with fine wine. When jackals and wolves come, we face them with shotguns.'”

In a speech earlier in the day, Austin outlined America’s vision of “a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific in a world of rules and rights.”

In pursuing this, Mr Austin said the United States will plan, coordinate, He said he is stepping up his training. It is about promoting prosperity and preventing conflict. “

“Some countries are taking a selective approach to rules and international law,” Lee dismissed this idea.

“We like to impose our rules on other people,” he says. “That so-called ‘rules-based international order’ never tells us what the rules are or who made them.”

By contrast, he said, “We practice multilateralism and seek win-win cooperation.”

Li is under U.S. sanctions, part of broader anti-Russian measures imposed in 2018 over his involvement in China’s purchase of fighter jets and anti-aircraft missiles from Moscow. The sanctions predate the invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. defense officials said the sanctions would hamper Lee’s broad range of business activities in the United States, but not prevent him from holding official talks.

not yet, he declined an invitation to talk from Austin Although on the sidelines of the meeting, the two shook hands before sitting together on opposite sides of the same table when the forum opened on Friday.

Austin said it wasn’t enough.

“A heartfelt handshake over dinner is no substitute for a substantive commitment,” Austin said.

The United States has received more than a dozen requests from the Pentagon for China to meet with senior leaders since 2021, long before Li took over as defense minister, as well as multiple requests for permanent dialogue and cooperation. refusal or non-compliance. level effort.

“China is open to communication not only between the two countries, but also between the two militaries,” Li said, without mentioning sanctions, saying exchanges must be conducted “on the basis of mutual respect.” rice field.

“It’s a very basic principle,” he said. “Communication is not productive if we don’t respect each other.”

“Any serious conflict or confrontation between China and the United States would be an intolerable disaster for the world,” he said, adding that relations between the two countries were “at an all-time low.” Said I need to find out.

“History has proven time and time again that China and the United States can benefit when they cooperate, but they lose when they are at odds,” he said.

“China seeks to build a new type of great power relationship with the United States. The United States will act in good faith, match words with deeds, and work with China to make concrete decisions in order to stabilize relations and prevent unfair situations. “It will get worse,” Lee said.