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China's Defense Minister Li Shangfu: "We will never promise to refrain from the use of force"

Photo: Manish Swarup / AP

For China, Taiwan is not a sovereign country, but a breakaway province. The leadership apparatus in Beijing regularly threatens military conquest. Now China's new Defense Minister Li Shangfu is joining the ranks – but deliberately placing his threats before an international security meeting in Singapore.

China is seeking peaceful "reunification" but will not allow the ruling Taipei Progressive Party (DPP) to seek independence, General Li Shangfu said. We will never promise to refrain from the use of force," Chinese state media quoted him as saying from the meeting the day before. China must be united." The Chinese leadership will resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Signal to the West

The words come just before the start of the Shangri-La Dialogue Asian Security Conference in Singapore. The general takes part in the security dialogue for the first time. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius also arrived today for the meeting in Singapore.

China considers the democratic island republic to be part of the People's Republic. However, Taiwan, which today has a population of 23 million, has had an independent government for more than seven decades. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, concerns have grown that China could use similar force against Taiwan.

The U.S. has committed itself to the island's defense capability, which has so far mainly meant arms deliveries. However, US President Joe Biden had assured that he would also come to Taiwan's aid with US troops in the event of a Chinese attack.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who is also attending the conference in Singapore, had asked his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu for a meeting on the sidelines. However, the Chinese side has rejected this. One point of contention is that the U.S. imposed sanctions on the general in 2018, which Beijing is demanding to be lifted. In any case, there is largely radio silence between the two countries, as relations have fallen to a low point.

mrc/dpa