China will “not hesitate to start a war” if Taiwan declares independence, China’s Defence Minister Wei Fenghe warned his U.S. counterpart on June 10, 2022.
- The warning from Wei Fenghe came as he held his first face-to-face meeting with U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore.
- Later, U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin stressed American support for Taiwan, suggesting at Asia’s premier defence forum that recent Chinese military activity around the self-governing island threatens to change the status quo.
China and Taiwan
- China views self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to one day seize the island, by force if necessary, and U.S.-China tensions over the issue have soared in recent months.
- China and Taiwan were divided during a civil war in the 1940s. But, China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be part of the country again.
- However, Taiwan sees itself as an independent country, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders.
- Taiwan is an island, roughly 100 miles from the coast of south east China.
- It sits in the so-called “first island chain”, which includes a list of US-friendly territories that are crucial to US foreign policy.
US and Taiwan
- Only a few countries recognise Taiwan. Most recognise the Chinese government in Beijing instead.
- The US has no official ties with Taiwan but does have a law which requires it to provide the island with the means to defend itself.
- The US currently sticks to the “One-China” policy, which recognises only one Chinese government – in Beijing – and has formal ties with China rather than Taiwan.
India and Taiwan
- India doesn’t have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but both sides have trade and people-to-people ties.
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