China to US: We will never make the slightest compromise on Taiwan

China's top military officials said to their US counterparts that China will “never make the slightest compromise” for Taiwan and demanded that the US “stop arming” the island, Beijing announced today.

These statements were made at talks between military officials held yesterday, Tuesday, and the day before Monday, at the US Department of Defense in Washington, a few days before the crucial presidential election in Taiwan, which is scheduled to be held on Saturday.

Taiwan, which China considers its province, is at the center of Sino-US tensions, with the US being the main arms supplier to the island's authorities.

“On the issue of Taiwan, China will never make the slightest compromise or concession,” the Chinese military delegation stressed during these bilateral talks, according to a statement issued by the Chinese Ministry of Defense.

“It requires the US to respect the one-China principle, to respect its commitment in a certain way, ceasing to arm Taiwan and opposing any independence of Taiwan.”he underlined.

Although the US recognizes the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate Chinese government, it is also the main military backer of the Taiwanese authorities, which angers Beijing.

China considers Taiwan one of its provinces, which it has yet to reunite with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949.

Beijing says it favors a “peaceful” reunification with the island, where the 23 million people are governed under a democratic system. However, he has never ruled out the use of military force.

“Stop exaggerating”

The people of Taiwan go to the polls on Saturday to elect their next president.

Taiwan's Vice President William Lai, of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (PDP), is the favorite to succeed incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen (also of the PDP). The two are considered “black sheep” by Beijing because of their position in favor of the island's independence.

China also called on the US during the talks to “limit its military presence and provocative actions” in the disputed South China Sea, where the two powers last week held parallel military exercises.

Chinese warships conducted drills there on Thursday as the Philippines held training exercises with the US military following a series of incidents with Beijing in disputed waters.

“The US must fully realize the deep-rooted causes of maritime and aviation security problems, control its troops, which are on the front line, and stop exaggerating and exaggerating” the incidents, the Chinese Ministry of Defense also noted in the statement. of.

For its part, Washington said it is convinced of the “importance of respecting the freedom of navigation on the high seas” in the face of China's “repeated harassment” “against Philippine vessels operating legally in the South China Sea.”

In December, Chinese ships targeted Philippine vessels with water cannons on two separate supply missions to disputed reefs, according to videos released by the Philippine coast guard.

A collision between a Philippine vessel and a Chinese coast guard vessel was also reported. China and the Philippines then blamed each other for the incident.

Beijing claims much of the South China Sea islands. Other countries bordering this sea (Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei) have competing claims and each controls small islands or reefs.

US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed in November to resume bilateral military talks between their countries, which had been suspended for more than a year.

The talks this week were held by Michael Chase, a senior US Defense Department official, and Chinese general Song Yanchao, according to the Pentagon.

China expressed its will to develop healthy and stable relations with the US on the basis of equality and respect, the Chinese Ministry of Defense also said in its statement.