Chinese general slams US for 'provocation' after warships nearly collide

General Li Shangfu delivers a speech at the Shangri-la Dialogue International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore. Photo: Shutterstock

China's chief defense minister on Sunday chided the United States for «provocative actions» near its territory the day after a close encounter between a US warship and a Chinese navy in the Taiwan Strait.

On Saturday, the US and Canada made a routine joint crossing of a strategic passage, guiding the USS Chung-Hoon guided missile destroyer and Canada's HMCS Montreal «through waters where freedom of navigation and flight is in force on the high seas in accordance with international law.»

The US military accused a Chinese warship of slicing the Chung-Hun's bow twice, forcing it to slow down to avoid a collision. In a video filmed by Canadian news agency Global News, a Chinese warship is seen approaching a US ship at a distance of 140 meters from its path.

It was the second close encounter between the two militaries in less than ten days after a Chinese fighter jet swerved in front of a US spy plane over the South China Sea in what the Pentagon called «an overly aggressive maneuver.»

When questioned about the incidents during his first international speech at the Singapore security summit, General Li Shangfu, China's defense minister, laid the blame on foreign powers, accusing them of «seafaring hegemony» and warning them to stay away from China. . backyard.

«Why did all these incidents take place in areas near China and not in areas near other countries?» He said, adding that the best way to avoid such clashes is to stay away from the naval ships and fighters of other countries.

“On behalf of China, we always say: Mind your own business… Take care of your territory. airspace and water. If so, I don't think there will be problems in the future,” General Li said.

“As defense minister, I see a lot of information every day about foreign ships and fighters arriving in the areas. next to our area. They are not here for peaceful passage. They are here to provoke.”

General Lee's remarks followed a tough speech in which he denounced the new Cold War mentality in the Indo-Pacific and made several thinly veiled strikes against U.S. foreign policy, while doubling down on threats to invade Taiwan if he did not choose «peaceful» unification. . with China.

The defense minister said that while China is open to dialogue, «mutual respect must prevail over intimidation and hegemony.»

General Lee, who remains sanctioned by Washington over a 2018 Russian arms purchase, refused to meet with Lloyd Austin, the US defense chief, although he has held talks with Ben Wallace, the UK defense secretary, and other top military officials around the world. on the sidelines of a weekend conference.

Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace in a bilateral meeting with General Li Shanfu

Mr. Austin , who shook hands with his Chinese counterpart over Friday night's dinner, said he was «deeply concerned» by the lack of dialogue and urged Beijing to «pick up the phone».

In his own speech on Saturday, he criticized China's «risky interceptions» of US and allied aircraft in international airspace and said the US does not seek confrontation but «will not flinch in the face of intimidation or coercion.»

General Li acknowledged that China's relations with the US are at «all-time low» and that they need to «find the right way to get along» to avoid a major conflict that would be «an unbearable disaster for the world.»

But he went on to list familiar grievances against “some country” that “stirred up counter-revolutions and proxy wars in different regions, created chaos and unrest, and just walked away, leaving a mess in its wake, adding: “We should never allow such things to happen. repeat itself in the Asia-Pacific region.»

The same «some country» «expanded military bases, increased military presence and intensified the arms race in the region», which was «designed to make an enemy, foment confrontation, start a fire and fish in troubled waters,” he said.

The head of the defense ministry saved his most chilling warning for the democratic island of Taiwan, which the Chinese Communist Party claims as its territory even though it has never ruled there and the vast majority of the 24 million Taiwanese do not want to belong to China.

Possibility of catastrophic war for the future of Taiwan has caused alarm around the world, and General Lee did not make much effort to allay the fears.

“As the famous Chinese song says, when friends come to visit us, we greet them with fine wine. When jackals or wolves come, we will meet them with shotguns,” he said, referring to Beijing's intentions towards Taiwan.

“We will strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with maximum sincerity and maximum effort, but we promise not to use force,” he said.

“If anyone dares to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will not hesitate for a second. We will fear no adversary and will resolutely defend our national sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs.»

On Sunday, the Pentagon expressed concern about the Chinese military's «increasingly risky and coercive activities» in Asia.

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