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| Li Shangfu: War with US would be unbearable disaster, says China defence minister | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Li Shangfu became defence minister in March | |
| China's defence minister has said war with the US would be an "unbearable disaster" for the world in his first major speech since taking on the role. | |
| At a security summit, General Li Shangfu said "some countries" were intensifying an arms race in Asia. | |
| But he said the world was big enough for both China and the US, and the two superpowers should seek common ground. | But he said the world was big enough for both China and the US, and the two superpowers should seek common ground. |
| Earlier the US alleged "unsafe" manoeuvres by a Chinese destroyer near a US warship in the Taiwan strait. | |
| On Saturday the US navy said a Chinese destroyer sailed "in an unsafe manner" near an American warship as it transited the Taiwan Strait with Canadian vessels. | |
| China criticised both countries for "deliberately provoking risk". The US and Canada said they were sailing where international law allows. | |
| Gen Li, who became defence minister in March, accused the US of a "Cold War mentality" and said this was "greatly increasing security risks". | |
| In his speech he said China would not allow naval patrols by the US and its allies to be "a pretext to exercise hegemony of navigation". | |
| Asked about the incident in the Taiwan Strait, he said only that countries from 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 has rejected a US request for direct military talks in protest at sanctions placed on Gen Li by the US in 2018 over weapons purchases from Russia. | |
| At the Singapore summit, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin rebuked China for refusing to hold military discussions. | |
| China accused of hacking key US bases on Guam | China accused of hacking key US bases on Guam |
| The paradise islands caught in the US-China crosshairs | The paradise islands caught in the US-China crosshairs |
| Gen Austin and Gen Li shook hands and briefly spoke at the event's opening dinner on Friday, but there was no substantive exchange, reports say. | |
| One of China's delegates told AFP that the removal of US sanctions on Gen Li was a precondition for talks. | |
| Senior intelligence officials attended a meeting of spy chiefs at the Singapore summit, according to Reuters. | |
| Despite the diplomatic spat, a top US state department official has arrived in Beijing for a week of wide-ranging talks. | |
| Relations between Washington and Beijing have been strained in recent years over several issues, including China's claim over Taiwan, and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. | Relations between Washington and Beijing have been strained in recent years over several issues, including China's claim over Taiwan, and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. |
| Chinese fighter jet flies close to US military plane | Chinese fighter jet flies close to US military plane |
| Chinese fighter jet flies close to US military plane | Chinese fighter jet flies close to US military plane |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Singapore | Singapore |
| Asia Pacific | Asia Pacific |
| United States | United States |
| China-US relations | China-US relations |