SINGAPORE (AFP) -- Beijing will “not hesitate to start a war” if Taiwan declares independence, China’s defense minister warned his U.S. counterpart Friday in the pair’s first face-to-face talks, officials said.
“If anyone dares to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese army will definitely not hesitate to start a war no matter the cost,” Wu Qian quoted Defense Minister Wei Fenghe as saying during a meeting with Lloyd Austin.