China Defense Minister to US counterpart: Do not cross Taiwan red line

• 

The Sino-American relations are of great importance for China, however, this relation does not come at the cost of Chinese sovereignty and interests, and Washington must respect Beijing's non-negotiables, said Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe earlier on Tuesday.    

A meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cambodia brought together Wei and his US counterpart, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

"China attaches great importance to the development of relations between the two countries and the armed forces of the two states, but the US must respect the most vital interests of China," Wei said at a meeting, emphasizing that "the responsibility for the current situation in Chinese-US relations lies with the US, not China."

The two ministers also discussed Taiwan and the Taiwan Straight, where Wei reaffirmed Chinese sovereignty in Taiwan as part of the One-China Policy noting it as "the first red line in Chinese-US relations that must not be crossed."

Wei also reiterated that Taiwan is a Chinese matter, and thus a matter of national sovereignty, and no foreign interference in Chinese affairs will be accepted.    

This comes after the US Defense Secretary reaffirmed the "importance of peace and stability across the [Taiwan] Strait," as he also reiterated US "opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo and called on the PRC to refrain from further destabilizing actions toward Taiwan."

Read more: Biden: Rivalry with China must not turn to conflict, Taiwan key issue