Dong’s appearance at the high-profile security forum comes six months after he took office and two weeks after the inauguration of Taiwan’s top leader, Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing has described as a “troublemaker” and “destroyer of cross-strait peace”.
Tung said Beijing was committed to “peaceful unification” with Taiwan but that prospects were “undermined by Taiwanese separatists and external forces.”
02:16
Chinese, US defense ministers meet on sidelines of Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore
Chinese, US defense ministers meet on sidelines of Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore
Asked whether the People’s Liberation Army’s large-scale drills since Lai took office showed Beijing was genuinely interested in peaceful unification, Tung accused Taiwanese separatists of “unilaterally changing the status quo”.
Rai’s inaugural speech “revealed their ambition for independence,” he added.
While Dong did not directly mention the United States, there is no doubt that Washington is the “external force” he accused of “endangering Taiwan” and stirring up trouble in the South China Sea under the pretext of freedom of navigation.
“We will not allow hegemonism or power politics to harm the Asia-Pacific region. We will also not allow geopolitical conflicts, cold wars or hot wars to be brought into the Asia-Pacific region. We will not allow any country or force to cause war or chaos here,” Dong said.
The United States, like most countries, does not recognize Taiwan as an independent nation but opposes any attempt to seize it by force and is legally obligated to provide weapons to help Taiwan defend itself.
Regarding U.S.-China military relations, Dong said China’s position is “consistent and clear” and “open to exchanges and cooperation,” but that this requires efforts from both sides.
“In our view, differences between the two militaries make communication even more necessary. Even though they are on different development paths, they should not pursue conflict with each other,” Dong said.
On Friday, Dong and US Foreign Minister Lloyd Austin held a rare face-to-face meeting, which Beijing described as “positive, pragmatic and constructive”.
The United States does not claim any territorial claims in the disputed waters, but is committed to protecting freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and supporting its allies, including the Philippines.
Beijing’s sweeping claims in the waterway overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
Dong said peace was “essential” for the region’s prosperity and that regional countries “must not allow conflicts and differences to become an obstacle to development and cooperation.”
“Thanks to the concerted efforts of countries in the region, the South China Sea remains generally stable,” Dong said.
Nevertheless, “certain countries, emboldened by external forces,” “broke bilateral agreements and their own commitments, carried out planned provocations, and created false scenarios to mislead their people.”
“This action will endanger regional security and stability and ultimately backfire,” Dong said, referring to the Philippines.
“We hope that our country can get back on the right track of dialogue and consultation, and work with other countries in the region to make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.”
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Philippine Navy admiral at the center of “New Deal” furor breaks silence on alleged South China Sea deal
Philippine Navy admiral at the center of “New Deal” furor breaks silence on alleged South China Sea deal
China rejects a 2016 international ruling that said its territorial and maritime claims have no legal basis, and continues to build up bases on islands and atolls it controls.
Dong said he hoped the forum would contribute to regional stability rather than become a forum for arguments.
“Every year for the last three years, a new Chinese defense minister has come to Shangri-La, and every year they’ve given a speech that was totally at odds with the reality in China,” a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said when asked about Dong’s speech. [People’s Liberation Army’s] “Enforcement activities continue across the region, and this year was no exception.”
Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the German Marshall Fund’s Indo-Pacific program, said there was a “big gulf” between China’s words and actions, reflecting a “long-standing problem.”
“[Dong’s] “Their performance here is similar to China’s performance in the international community: They don’t play by the rules, they don’t play by international law,” Glaser said, declining to answer specific questions.
On China’s main points of contention, Glaser said Dong’s comments on Taiwan were “very sharp” but there was nothing new about the South China Sea.
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Mainland China begins blockade of Taiwan by People’s Liberation Army three days after William Lai’s speech
Mainland China begins blockade of Taiwan by People’s Liberation Army three days after William Lai’s speech
But PLA Senior Colonel Cao Yan said Lai was testing Beijing’s strength and posed a “real danger” and Dong had to explain Beijing’s position thoroughly.
“I think everyone should be aware of this… the risk is very real but the DPP authorities are hiding and downplaying this from the Taiwanese people. This approach actually makes the Taiwanese people less aware of the risk of war across the Strait,” Cao said.
Cao said Dong’s speech reflected Beijing’s “common security” approach while the United States pursues “bloc security”.
