The Pentagon chief expressed Washington's concern about China's actions in the Indo-Pacific regionBeijing/
Washington. November 22. INTERFAX - Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe at a meeting with US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin said that the Taiwan issue is a cornerstone in the development of Sino-American relations, and warned of the readiness of the Chinese army to defend the unity of the motherland, the Chinese Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday.
"Wei Fenghe stated that the Taiwan issue is the core of China's core interests and an insurmountable red line in Sino-American relations," the ministry said in a statement.
The Chinese minister said that "the solution of the Taiwan issue is a personal matter of the Chinese people and no external force has the right to interfere."
He stressed: "The Chinese army has power, courage and is confident that it is capable of resolutely defending the unity of the motherland."
Wei Fenghe noted that the responsibility for the current problems in relations between the two countries "lies with the United States, not China."
He expressed hope that the United States "will do what they say, keep their promises," and also "will contribute to the return of Sino-American relations to the path of healthy and stable development."
According to the Pentagon press service, Austin noted "the importance of a substantive dialogue on reducing strategic risk, improving communication in crisis situations and improving operational security."
"He expressed concern about the increasingly dangerous behavior demonstrated by PLA (People's Liberation Army of China - IF) aircraft in the Indo-Pacific region, which increases the risk of incidents. The Minister also confirmed that the United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows," the statement said.
It notes that the parties discussed the situation around Ukraine. At the same time, Austin stressed that "both the United States and China oppose the use of nuclear weapons or threats of their use."
The Pentagon chief "expressed concern about the recent provocations by the DPRK and called on China to fully ensure compliance with existing UN Security Council resolutions concerning the DPRK's illegal weapons programs."
He also confirmed that the United States remains committed to the "one China" policy, stressed his disagreement with the unilateral change of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and "called on China to refrain from further destabilizing actions against Taiwan," the Pentagon said.
