China Defense Minister Slams US, Vows to Defend Interests

  • Li says China won’t back down over Taiwan, other priorities
  • Li, Austin shook hands at start of Shangri-La defense forum
WATCH: US military video shows a Chinese navy ship cutting sharply across the path of an American destroyer in the Taiwan Strait.Source: US Department of Defense via AP
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China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu used a speech in Singapore to attack US strategy toward the Indo-Pacific, saying Washington is seeking to stoke confrontation through its support for Taiwan, military deployments and building alliances in the region.

And Li vowed that China would defend its interests — particularly over Taiwan, the biggest potential military flashpoint between the world’s biggest economies.