China Condemns U.S. Actions, Calls for Equal Consultations

China's Defence Minister Dong Jun criticized the United States for violating commitments and sending misleading signals to Taiwanese independence forces during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. He emphasized resolving disputes, such as those in the Second Thomas Shoal, through equal consultations but warned against provocative actions.

China firmly opposes the United States' "serious violation" of its commitments and sending "wrong signals" to the "Taiwan independence" forces, Defence Minister Dong Jun said on Friday when meeting U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

On issues such as the Second Thomas Shoal, China insists on resolving differences through consultations on an equal footing, but it will never turn a "blind eye" to increased "provocative behaviours", Dong was quoted as saying by state news agency Xinhua.