The responsibility for the current state of China-US relations lies with the US, National Defense Minister and Chinese State Councilor Wei Fenghe said on Tuesday during a meeting with Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting in Cambodia.
"The responsibility for the current situation China-US relations are facing lies with the United States, not with China," China's Defense Ministry quoted Wei Fenghe as saying on its WeChat page.
The Taiwan issue is a red line in Sino-US relations that must not be crossed, China’s Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, a member of the State Council, said at a meeting with the Pentagon’s chief Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of a meeting ASEAN defense ministers with dialogue partners in Cambodia.
"The Taiwan issue is the core of China's key interests, as well as number one red line in Sino-US relations that must not be crossed," Wei is quoted as saying in the Chinese Defense Ministry’s message on the WeChat social network.
Wei stressed that Taiwan was part of China, and the settlement of the Taiwan issue was "a private matter for the Chinese people."
The United States emasculates and distorts the One China principle, supplies weapons to Taiwan, and sends high-ranking officials to the island, which exacerbates tensions in the Taiwan Strait, China’s Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, a member of the State Council, said at a meeting with the Pentagon’s chief Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of a meeting ASEAN defense ministers with dialogue partners in Cambodia.
"For a certain period of time, the United States has continuously emasculated, devastated and distorted the One China principle, repeatedly supplied weapons to Taiwan, provided assistance in training the Taiwanese military, and sent high-ranking officials to the island, which further exacerbated tensions in the Taiwan Strait," Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei has quoted Wei as saying, the Chinese daily Huanqiu Shibao reports.
Austin urged China to avoid “destabilizing actions” toward Taiwan. He stressed the importance of maintaining a dialogue between the two countries in order to reduce risks.
"Secretary Austin and General Wei discussed U.S.-PRC [China] defense relations and regional and global security issues. Secretary Austin emphasized the need to responsibly manage competition and maintain open lines of communication," the Pentagon said.
In addition, the parties discussed the importance of substantive dialogue on reducing strategic risk, improving crisis communications and enhancing operational safety.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and an expanded meeting with dialogue partners, being held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on November 21-23.
