Beijing is further escalating tensions over the fate of Taiwan.
China will indeed "fight to the end" to prevent the island from declaring its independence, the Chinese Minister of Defense announced on Sunday.
“We are going to fight at all costs and we are going to fight until the end.
It's the only choice for China,” Wei Fenghe said at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore.
“Those who pursue Taiwan independence with the aim of dividing China will certainly not achieve their ends,” he said.
"No one should ever underestimate the determination and ability of the Chinese armed forces to safeguard its territorial integrity."
Washington's criticism of Beijing
His speech mainly came the day after statements by US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin denouncing Beijing's "provocative and destabilizing" military activity near Taiwan.
China considers this democratic and self-governing island of 24 million to be one of its historical provinces, even if it does not control it, and has increased pressure against Taipei in recent years, for example through campaigns incursions into the Taiwan Air Defense Zone.
These actions have increased tensions with the United States, which are already high on many other levels.
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