Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu told Asia’s top security summit on Sunday (4th June 2023) that conflict with the United States would be an “unbearable disaster” but that his country sought dialogue over confrontation. It was his first significant international address since he was named China’s Minister of National Defence in March.

• “China and the US have different systems and are different in many other ways.”
• “However, this should not keep the two sides from seeking common ground and common interests to grow bilateral ties and deepen cooperation,” he said.
• “It is undeniable that a severe conflict or confrontation between China and the US will be an unbearable disaster for the world.”
• Li said, “China would not allow such freedom-of-navigation patrols by the United States and its allies to be “a pretext to exercise hegemony of navigation”.

Li — sanctioned by the United States in 2018 over weapons purchases from Russia — shook hands with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin earlier at the summit but they have not had a deeper discussion, despite repeated US demands for more military exchanges.

After Li’s speech, retired veteran Chinese diplomat Cui Tiankai urged the United States to ease military deployments close to China in an act of “good faith” if high-level defence talks between the two superpowers are to resume.

This article originally appeared in www.dawn.com/ June 04 2023 . Original link.