During a meeting of some of the world’s top defense leaders in Singapore, Chinese General Li Changfu said the so-called maritime patrol freedom is a provocation of China, referring to the US military presence in the Taiwan Strait.
The Chinese Defense Minister defended the interception of a Chinese battleship, the path of an American destroyer carrying guided missiles, and a Canadian warship in the Taiwan Strait, the self-governing island, which Beijing considers an extension of its territory.
The Chinese ship overtook the American destroyer and then veered in a circle, a distance of 140 miles, in an unsafe manner, according to the US Indo-Pacific Command.
During a meeting of some of the world’s top defense leaders in Singapore, General Li Shangfu said the so-called sea patrol freedom is a provocation to China.
General Lee said during the “Shangri-La Dialogue” conference organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, that China has no problems with “innocent passage,” stressing that attempts to use maritime freedom patrols to establish hegemony over navigation traffic should be prevented.
For his part, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said during the same conference the day before yesterday, Saturday, that Washington will not back down in the face of any bullying or coercion emanating from China, and that “it will continue to sail and fly constantly over the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, to confirm the international nature of those waters.” , thus addressing China’s geographical claims in the region.
The latest incident would increase fears of the possibility of an accident, which could lead to a deterioration between Beijing and Washington at a time of heightened tensions.
He told me that the United States and its allies created the danger, and that they should focus on taking care of their land, air and sea space, and while Austin said that the United States is cooperating with its friends to strengthen rules and norms that prevent conflict, Lee responded by saying: “Some countries are taking selective approaches to international rules and laws.” “.
