China: United States must stop military provocations at sea

BEIJING (TASS): Wrong attitude towards the issue of Taiwan can have a fatal effect on the relationship between China and the United States. This was announced on Wednesday in a telephone conversation with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin by a member of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Defense Minister Wei Fenghe.
“Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, this fact and [such] status quo no one can change,” he said in a message from the Ministry of Defense of the People’s Republic of China. “An improper attitude towards the Taiwan issue can have a fatal effect on the relations between the two countries,” Wei Fenghe said.
“The Chinese armed forces will resolutely defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity,” he said.
“The Chinese side demands that the United States stop military provocations at sea, do not use the Ukraine issue to smear China with mud and shift the blame on it, as well as to threaten and exert pressure,” he said in a message from the Chinese Ministry of Defense.
Fenghe said that he US government must stop underestimating China’s resolve and ability to protect its national interests.
“China hopes to establish and sustainably develop a healthy and stable relationship with the United States as a major power, and will certainly defend national interests and prestige. The United States should not underestimate China’s resolve and capabilities,” he said in a message from the Chinese Ministry of Defense.
Fenghe noted that relations between the two countries should be based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and avoidance of confrontation. As the head of the Chinese defense department pointed out, the armed forces of the two countries need to deepen mutual trust, as well as control and risk management mechanisms to prevent crises.
The secretary of defense said that the United States must stop military provocations at sea and stop using the crisis in Ukraine as an excuse to threaten and pressure China. “The Chinese side demands that the United States stop military provocations at sea, do not use the Ukraine issue to smear China with mud and shift the blame on it, as well as to threaten and exert pressure,” he said.
As noted in the message, the parties exchanged views on issues of ensuring security at sea and in the air, as well as on the situation in Ukraine.
US and Chinese Defense Ministers Lloyd Austin and Wei Fenghe discussed military relations between Washington and Beijing, security issues in the region, and the situation around Ukraine in a telephone conversation on Wednesday. This was reported by the press service of the Pentagon following the conversation.
“[Ministers] discussed US-China defense relations, security issues in the region, and Russia’s gratuitous invasion of Ukraine,” the statement said.
According to a press release, the conversation was held “in continuation” of a March 18 videoconference between US President Biden and Chinese Presid-ent Xi Jinping. Additional details are not provided.