China, Defense Minister on Taiwan: “Ready for war if independence is declared”

China will fight “at all costs and to the end” to prevent Taiwan from declaring independence. This was stated by Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore and assured that “this is the only choice for Beijing and those who want to divide China will certainly not have a good ending”. Wei, in the aftermath of Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin’s attack on Beijing’s “provocative and destabilizing” military activity near the island, added that “no one should ever underestimate the determination and ability of the Chinese military to safeguard its territorial integrity “.