BEIJING: Taiwan is a part of China and no one can change that, Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe said on Wednesday after a rare phone call with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
“If the Taiwan issue were not handled properly, it would have a damaging impact on Sino-US relations,” Wei added, according to statement published by the Chinese defence ministry.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Chinese Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe, the first call between the two officials since the start of President Joe Biden’s administration more than a year ago.
Relations between China and the United States have been tense with both sides clashing over everything from Taiwan and China’s human rights record to its military activity in the South China Sea.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the two talked about relations between the countries and “regional security issues, and Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.”
Despite the tensions and heated rhetoric, US military officials have long sought to have open lines of communication with their Chinese counterparts to be able to mitigate potential flare-ups or deal with any accidents. Despite multiple attempts, Austin had been unable to talk with Chinese military leaders until Wednesday.
The United States has no formal relations with self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own, but is its most important international backer and arms supplier.
Taiwan has been heartened by the US support offered by the Biden administration, which has repeatedly talked of its “rock-solid” commitment to the democratically governed island.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also put Taipei on alert for any possible moves by Beijing to use the Ukraine crisis to make a move on the island. The government though has reported no sign that China is about to invade.
