Chinese military officials told US counterparts at talks this week that Beijing will “never compromise” on the issue of Taiwan and urged them to stop “provocative actions” in the South China Sea, the defense ministry said Wednesday.
China “stressed that it will never compromise or back down on the Taiwan issue,” the ministry said in a readout of the talks in Washington, held Monday and Tuesday, urging the United States to “stop arming Taiwan.”
“China urged the United States to reduce its military deployment and provocative actions in the South China Sea and stop supporting violations and provocations by individual countries,” the statement continued.
“The United States should fully understand the root causes of maritime and air security issues, strictly rein in its frontline troops, and stop with the exaggeration and hype,” it added.
“The Chinese side also elaborated its solemn position and major concerns on issues involving China’s core interests and international hotspot issues,” it said.
President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping agreed in November to restart military talks between the countries, put on hold for more than a year.
Top US military officer Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown then spoke with China’s Gen. Liu Zhenli in December, discussing “the importance of working together to responsibly manage competition,” according to Washington.
This week’s talks, held at the Pentagon, were led by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Chase and China’s Maj. Gen. Song Yanchao, Washington said.
“China expressed its willingness to develop healthy and stable military-to-military relations with the United States on the basis of equality and respect,” the Chinese side said in its readout.
“The United States should face China’s concerns squarely and take more actions that are conducive to the development of relations between the two militaries,” it added.
In Manila, President Marcos and visiting Indonesian President Joko Widodo stressed the importance of upholding the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as they discussed the recent developments in the South China Sea (SCS).
Marcos and Widodo said that complying with the UNCLOS is crucial to maintain peace and stability in the oceans and the seas, including the SCS.
In November last year, Marcos urged his fellow ASEAN leaders to craft a new code of conduct (COC) in the SCS, considering the slow negotiations on the proposed sea code between the 10-man regional bloc and China.
Marcos’ call came amid China’s provocative actions in the SCS.
China, the Philippines, and several other littoral states have competing claims in the SCS, with Beijing claiming about 80 percent of the contested waters.
A 2016 decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, however, dismissed the legality of these claims.
In other developments:
* Senator Imee Marcos asked the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to explain the shipment of 39 million gallons of fuel of the US Navy from Pearl Harbor to Subic. She said the “inexplicable silence” of both the Philippine and US governments before the voyage only raised suspicions about the positioning of military supplies in the country amid predictions of an eventual war between China and the US over Taiwan.
* Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels, BRP Cabra and BRP Sindangan, successfully conducted a rotation and resupply (RORE) mission in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) from Jan. 3 to 9. The PCG vessels safely arrived at the Port of Buliluyan in Bataraza, Palawan, after delivering essential supplies to Coast Guard personnel situated in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), specifically at Lawak Island, Panata Island, and Pag-asa Island. PCG Commandant, Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, said Coast Guard facilities in these islands will undergo improvements this year. With AFP