2 June 2019; DW: Chinese Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe said Sunday that his country would not renounce the use of force over the reunification of Taiwan with the Chinese mainland.
"We will strive for the process of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and greatest efforts but we make no promise to renounce the use of force," Wei said.
The general made the comments at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a three-day security summit in Singapore that brings together top defense representatives from around the world.
The remarks came a day after acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan spoke at the same summit, warning China against threatening its neighbors' sovereignty.
"Any underestimation of the PLA's (People's Liberation Army) resolve and will is extremely dangerous," Wei said, calling it the army's "sacred duty" to defend Chinese territory.
China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since the end of the mainland's civil war in 1949, but China still claims Taiwan as part of its territory.
"If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese military has no choice but to fight at all costs. At all cost, for national unity," Wei said.
Jockeying for influence
Washington and Beijing have been vying for influence in the Asia-Pacific region, with the US repeatedly criticizing China's build up of military outposts in the South China Sea.
In the strategic regional waters, China has staked ownership over almost the entire area and has rejected partial claims by Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
"It is the legitimate right of a sovereign state to carry out construction on its own territory," Wei said. "China builds limited defense facilities on the islands and reefs for self defense," he added.
Relations between China and the US have been further strained since the election of Donald Trump, whose administration has been fighting a trade war against Beijing.
China and the US have held talks to end the dispute, but have failed to reach a breakthrough. A Chinese government white paper said on Sunday that Beijing would "fight till the end" on trade and that the US should bear "sole and entire responsibility" for setbacks in negotiations.
