Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fengyi accused the United States of trying to hijack the support of countries in the Asia-Pacific region and turn them against his country, pointing out that its nuclear arsenal is for self-defense, and the defense ministers of Japan, the United States and Australia warned against changing the situation in the South China Sea.

During a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, the Chinese Defense Minister called on neighboring countries in the region to join hands to prevent any outside parties from interfering and causing chaos in the South China Sea.

Wei Fengyi told members of the delegations participating in the Shangri-La Dialogue - which is the main security gathering in Asia - that the United States is trying to hijack the support of countries in the Asia-Pacific region and turn them against China, and that no country has the right to impose its will on other countries under the pretext of a multipolar world order.

Wei warned that his country will not hesitate to use force and fight to the last breath in defense of China's unity in the face of what he described as attempts to separate Taiwan from it.

The Chinese minister stressed that Taiwan was and will remain Chinese, and that his country will fight to the end against any attempt to separate Taiwan from China, and that those who seek to separate it will not reach any result.

Wei added that his country's relations with the United States have reached a critical stage, a day after his meeting with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin.

In response to a question about reports last year that more than 100 new nuclear missile launch facilities were built in eastern China;

Wei said China "always follows a proper path of developing nuclear capabilities to protect our country."

Wei said that the nuclear weapons that appeared at a 2019 military parade in Beijing, which included upgraded launchers for DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles, were operated and deployed.

"China has developed its capabilities over more than 5 decades, and it is fair to say that great progress has been made," he added.

But the Chinese minister stressed at the same time that his country manufactures nuclear weapons for self-defense only, and that it will not be the first party to use them.

Members of the Chinese delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue (Reuters)

self-control

For his part, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi called on China to "exercise restraint" regarding the dispute in the East China and South China Seas, expressing concern about Beijing's current "unilateral attempts to change the status quo," as he put it.

Japan's Kyodo news agency quoted the Japanese minister as telling his Chinese counterpart that the international community regards peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as vital, expressing concern over the recent joint flights by Chinese and Russian fighter planes near Japan.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles also said that the war in Ukraine made it clear that there are countries that seek to challenge the global order based on international rules.

After his talks with his Chinese counterpart in Singapore, the Australian minister stressed the importance of respecting international laws.

Australian Defense Minister speaks to reporters on the sidelines of the conference (Reuters)

Triple Warning

In a joint statement, the defense ministers of Japan, the United States and Australia expressed their concerns about the increasing tension in the South China and East China Seas, and stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

The defense ministers of the three countries said they are firmly opposed to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait and raise tensions.

The ministers agreed to take concrete and practical measures to ensure security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, including strengthening joint military exercises to improve the readiness of the three countries' forces.

US President Joe Biden has declared his commitment to defend Taiwan if China tries to seize it by force.