China's defense chief advocates for communication with the U.S. and cautions against Taiwan's secession.
China has consistently been open to exchanging ideas and collaborating, as said by Dong. However, both parties need to meet each other halfway, he emphasized during his address at the Shangri-La Dialogue.
In terms of the ongoing conflict with Taiwan and the escalating tensions in the South China Sea, Dong announced China's firm approach to prevent Taiwan's independence. The country's military will ensure that it never becomes a reality. If anyone attempts to separate Taiwan from China, they will face devastation, according to the minister.
China views Taiwan as a rebellious province that needs to be reunited with mainland China, even if it involves military action. Last week, China carried out a major military exercise close to Taiwan, following the inauguration of Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, who Beijing labeled as a separatist.
The US doesn't recognize Taiwan diplomatically but is a significant ally and has a military presence in the region with ships and fighter jets. China also questions the US' engagement with Pacific nations like the Philippines due to frequent confrontations between their naval forces in the disputed region.
Following their more than hour-long discussion on the sidelines of the event, Austin stated that the commanders of both sides would talk to each other over the phone "in the coming months." Beijing welcomed the move, considering it a step towards stabilizing the security relationship between the nations after the meeting.
In recent months, efforts have been made by the US and China to ease tensions. Following a meeting between their presidents Biden and Xi Jinping in the US in November, they decided to restart military-to-military dialogues. The meeting between Austin and Dong was initially planned after their phone conversation in April. No meaningful discussions at the defense minister level had occurred in the past 18 months before this moment.
