Chinese minister says war with US would be 'unbearable disaster'
China's defense minister said a war with the US would be an "unbearable disaster" for the world in his first major speech since taking the role. At the security summit, General Li Shangfu said "some countries" are intensifying the arms race in Asia, reports "BBC".
But he said the world is big enough for both China and the United States, and the two superpowers should seek common ground.
Earlier, the United States announced about alleged Chinese destroyer 'unsafe' maneuvers near US warship in Taiwan Strait. On Saturday, the US Navy said a Chinese destroyer sailed "in an unsafe manner" near a US warship as it transited the Taiwan Strait with Canadian ships.
China criticized the two countries for "intentionally causing risk". The US and Canada have said they are sailing where international law allows.
General Lee, who became defense minister in March, accused the US of a "Cold War mentality" and said it "greatly increases security risks". In his speech, he said China would not allow US and its allies' naval patrols to be "an excuse to exercise navigational hegemony."
Asked about the incident in the Taiwan Strait, he said only that countries outside the region were raising tensions. He was speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, the Asia-Pacific region's only annual security meeting.
Beijing rejected a US request for direct military talks in protest over sanctions imposed on General Lee by the US in 2018 over his arms purchases from Russia. At the Singapore summit, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rebuked China for refusing to hold military discussions.