China's defense minister said Beijing is open to a military dialogue with the US. But he stressed that China will not tolerate any provocations when it comes to Taiwan, Ednews informs.
China's Defense Minister Li Shangfu said Sunday that Beijing is open to a dialogue with the US military over their fast-deteriorating relationship, but warned against "NATO-like" alliances in the Asia-Pacific, saying that it could plunge the region into conflict.
Confrontation between China and the US will be an "unbearable disaster for the world," Li said speaking at Asia's top defense summit currently taking place in Singapore.
He pointed out that the relationship between the two nations affects global strategic stability and that the "world is big enough for China and the US to grow together."
Li's comments at Shangri-La Dialogue come a day after US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin criticized China for declining an official invitation for a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the summit.
