Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun delivers of a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday in a video streamed through the annual defense summit’s website. CNA photo June 2, 2024
Taipei, June 3 (CNA) Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun’s (董軍) “provocative and irrational” remarks on Taiwan at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Sunday violated the United Nations Charter and could impact peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said.
In his speech on China’s approach to global security at the annual security conference held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, Dong emphasized that China’s defense policies and concepts are open and inclusive.
However, in the roughly 30-minute speech, the Chinese minister also made coercive remarks toward Taiwan, saying that “anyone who dares to separate Taiwan from China will only end up in self-destruction.”
Dong said the Chinese government was committed to peaceful unification but also noted that the People’s Liberation Army of China will remain a strong force for upholding “national reunification.”
Actions will be taken “to curb Taiwan independence and make sure such a plot never succeeds,” he said.
In response, the MAC said it was “deeply regrettable that a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official would make such provocative and irrational remarks on cross-strait relations.”
The CCP again intimidated Taiwan and its neighboring countries with belligerent rhetoric, raising the risk posed by China’s authoritarian regime to peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region, said the MAC.
The agency also said that the CCP often repeated coercive remarks on Taiwan at international events, describing such a practice as a serious violation of Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the U.N. Charter, which requires member states to refrain from using or threating to use force.
Beijing sees Taiwan’s new President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), who was inaugurated on May 20, as a “separatist” and supporter of Taiwan independence. In his speech in Singapore, Dong said Lai’s party, the Democratic Progressive Party, was “pursuing separation in an incremental way” and was “bent on erasing the Chinese identity of Taiwan.”
Lai has vowed to maintain the status quo in his inaugural speech, while insisting that the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan’s official name) are not subordinate to each other.
In response to Dong’s speech, Presidential Office spokesperson Wen Lii (李問) said that the Chinese official willfully distorted the Taiwanese government’s policies, while continuing to threaten the use of force at the Shangri-La Dialogue.
“Through longstanding political pressure, they have worked to prevent Taiwanese representatives from participating in this event (Shangri-La Dialogue),” Lii said. “This shows China’s lack of confidence to engage in dialogue with Taiwan and their irrational comments will struggle to garner international support.”
He added that President Lai has repeatedly expressed Taiwan’s willingness to engage in cross-strait dialogue and exchanges in pursuit of mutual interests and urged China to join Taiwan in shouldering the responsibility of maintaining peace and stability.
