Chinese Defense Minister Defends Sailing of Warship Across Path of U.S. Destroyer in Taiwan Strait

At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday, Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu addressed the recent close encounters between American and Chinese military assets. Li defended the sailing of a Chinese warship across the path of an American destroyer and Canadian frigate transiting the Taiwan Strait, claiming that such “freedom of navigation” patrols are a provocation to China.

The U.S. military said Saturday that a Chinese Navy ship had maneuvered in an “unsafe manner” near an American destroyer transiting the Taiwan Strait. This follows an “unnecessarily aggressive maneuver” by one of Beijing’s fighter’s near one of Washington’s surveillance planes last week.

In his address, Li stated that China does not have any issues with “innocent passage” but that “we must prevent attempts that try to use those freedom of navigation (patrols), that innocent passage, to exercise hegemony of navigation.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also spoke at the forum, saying that Washington would not “flinch in the face of bullying or coercion” from China. He added that the U.S. will continue to stand with its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

The recent close encounters between American and Chinese military assets have raised tensions between the two countries. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop in the coming weeks and months.