Beijing "will not hesitate to start a war" should Taiwan declare independence. " If anyone dares to divide Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will not hesitate to start a war at any cost ," Defense Minister Weu Fenghe told his US counterpart Lloyd Austin.

The two met in Singapore, the first in-person talks between defense ministers since Austin took office.

There was also talk of Ukraine and more, but the clash on the issue that most divides the two superpowers, Taiwan , was inevitable.

"TAIWAN PART OF CHINA"

"It is part of China, the one China principle is the political foundation of Sino-American relations: it is impossible to use Taiwan to control China", said the Chinese minister, recalling in a threatening tone that the US "has recently announced another arms sale that has seriously undermined China's sovereignty and security interests ”and reiterating that“ we will destroy any attempt at Taiwan's independence and safeguard reunification ”.

"ENOUGH DESTABILIZING ACTIONS"

Austin, for his part, asked China to " refrain from implementing further destabilizing actions against Taiwan " and on Twitter, speaking of the meeting, he wrote that "US-China defense relations, as well as issues of global and regional security ".

"USA DO NOT INTERFERE"

Wei also told his counterpart that to address the "serious challenges" facing the issues of peace and development, the "right direction" is that of the "global development and security initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping".

Beijing's hope is "to establish a healthy and stable relationship with the US in the Asia-Pacific area" and that the United States " consider China's development and growth in a rational way, without attacking and defaming it or interfering in its internal affairs and damage its interests, only in this way can bilateral relations be improved ”.