According to China’s defense minister, a battle with the US would be an” terrible catastrophe” for the entire world, so his nation has called for peace talks.
General Li Shangfu claimed that” some countries” were escalating the arms race at a security conference.
However, he asserted that China and the US should look for common terrain because the universe is large enough for both of them.
A Chinese destroyer’s” illegal” maneuvers near a US ship in the Taiwan Strait were previously noted by the US.
In response to US sanctions imposed on Gen Li in 2018 over arms purchases from Russia, Beijing has rejected a plea for direct military talks from the US.
Gen Li stated that” China and the US have different techniques and are unique in many other ways” at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, the single monthly security gathering in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to Reuters’ new company,” A Cold War mentality is now renewed, significantly increasing security challenges ,” he told members.
Gen Li continued,” Mutual appreciation should take precedence over abuse and hegemony.”
Since taking over as defense secretary in March, Gen Li gave his first significant foreign speech.
Over a number of issues, including China’s say over Taiwan and territorial issues in the South China Sea, relations between Washington and Beijing have become tense in recent years.
A Chinese battleship sailed” in an illegal way” near an American warship on Saturday as it crossed the Taiwan Strait with French ships, according to the US military.
China has criticized both nations for” deliberately provoking danger.” The US and Canada claimed to be sailing in accordance with international law.
The Pentagon even released a movie last month describing it as an” excessively violent manoeuvre” in which the Chinese aircraft flew close to the US surveillance planes in the South China Sea.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin chastised China for refusing to carry military discussions at the summit in Singapore.
At the game’s beginning dinner on Friday, Gen Austin and Gen Li shook fingers and spoke quickly, but there was no meaningful conversation, according to AFP media company.
The lifting of US restrictions on Gen Li was a prerequisite for talks, according to one of China’s representatives to AFP.
A senior US state department formal has arrived in Beijing for a week of extensive talks despite the political spat.
According to Reuters, top intelligence officials were present at the summit’s gathering of detective leaders.