A debate between the defense ministers of America and China over Taiwan
The Chinese and US defense ministers faced off over Taiwan during their first direct talks on Friday, as Beijing vowed to "crush" any "independence scheme" on the island, while Washington urged it to refrain from any "destabilizing" steps.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Chinese counterpart Wei Fengyi that China "should refrain from taking any further destabilizing steps toward Taiwan."
In turn, Wei pledged that China "will crush to pieces any scheme for Taiwan independence and firmly affirm the unity of the motherland," according to the Chinese Defense Ministry.
On Friday, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian stressed that his country "will not hesitate to start a war" if Taiwan declares independence, following a meeting between the Chinese Defense Minister and his US counterpart.
The spokesman quoted the Chinese Defense Minister as saying during a meeting with his American counterpart, "If anyone dares to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese army will certainly not hesitate to start a war at all costs."
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