Taiwan is at the core of China's core interests: Chinese defence minister
Chinese and US flags flutter outside a company building in Shanghai, China on April 14, 2021.
PHOTO: Reuters file
PUBLISHED ONNovember 23, 2022 2:28 AM
BEIJING — Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe on Tuesday (Nov 22) told his US counterpart that Taiwan is at the core of China's core interests and was a "red-line" that must not be crossed.
"The resolution of Taiwan is a matter for Chinese people, no external force has the right to interfere," Wei said at a meeting with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of a gathering of Southeast Asian defence chiefs in Cambodia.
Wei said the US must respect China's core interests and hoped it could adopt a rational, practical policy towards China, and get China-US relations back on track.
Beijing has steadfastly viewed Taiwan as an inalienable part of China.
Earlier, Chinese state media quoted defence ministry spokesman Tan Kefei as saying the main reason for the current state of relations between China and the US was that the US made the wrong strategic judgment.
Tan said China was not responsible for the state of relations.
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