SINGAPORE, June 2 – Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun said on Sunday that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is prepared to take resolute actions to curb “Taiwan independence” and ensure that “Taiwan independence” will never happen.
Dong made the remarks in a speech on China’s Approach to Global Security at the 21st International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
“China values peace and harmony. Peaceful development is an integral part of our Constitution. We never seek hegemony or military expansion,” Dong said.
“We countries in the Asia-Pacific have the ability to resolve tensions among ourselves; we despise coercion from outside hegemonic powers,” he said.
China has always respected the reasonable concerns of all countries, and likewise, China’s core interests are sacred and inviolable, he said, adding that safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the sacred mission of the Chinese military.
Dong said the Taiwan question is the core of China’s core interests, and the one-China principle has long been recognized as the basic norm of international relations.
China has always been committed to peaceful reunification, but this prospect is being undermined by “Taiwan independence” elements and external forces, he said.
