BEIJING, China – Beijing has warned against interference in its affairs and further conflicts amid regional conflicts.
“The world now stands at another crossroads: peace or war, dialogue or confrontation,” Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun said. He spoke during the opening ceremony of the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing.
He added that Taiwan is firmly part of China. He stressed that the People’s Liberation Army is a powerful tool capable of defending “unification”.
He pointed out that Beijing will never allow Taiwan’s independence to succeed.
He explained that it was ready to thwart “any external military intervention” at any time. However, he did not mention the names of specific countries.
Autonomy
Taiwan, with a population of 23.4 million, has had an independent government since 1949.
However, China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and repeatedly threatens to annex it.
Regarding disputes, especially with the Philippines over resource-rich areas in the South China Sea, Dong stressed that China will protect its territorial sovereignty. He emphasized its rights and interests.
He said that the pursuit of absolute military superiority and the principle of “power is right” would eventually lead to “rule of the jungle.”
The Xiangshan Forum is China’s counter-event to the Shangri-La Security Dialogue Conference, held annually in Singapore.
