Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe has expressed protest against the US’ Taiwan-related actions at a meeting with acting US Secretary of Defence Patrick M. Shanahan.
"Recently, the American side has made a number of statements and steps regarding Taiwan, which undermine the One China Principle. The Chinese side protests this", Wei said.
He stressed that the Chinese Armed Forces are firm in their determination to protect the sovereignty, security, and interests of China.
Wei Fenghe continued by saying that the US should not underestimate the determination of the Chinese side.
The statement comes after Shanahan earlier stated that building partnerships, deploying capabilities to the region, and assisting countries in developing their security capabilities are part of the US strategy to contain Beijing and achieve a free and open Indo-Pacific.
After the bilateral meeting in Singapore, China’s Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian told reporters that while the talks were constructive, Defence Minister Wei Fenghe had flagged the US words and actions over Taiwan as "unconstructive".
READ MORE: US Playing With Fire in Taiwan Strait, Undermining Relations — Chinese Ministry
China claims the South China Sea as its sovereign territory and has built military bases on artificial islands there. The United States views the sea as an international waterway and routinely defies China with patrols by US and allied warships in so-called freedom of navigation exercises.
