Brussels - Capitals: Agencies - Europe and the Arabs
China's defense minister has defended the sailing of a warship in the path of a US destroyer and a Canadian frigate through the Taiwan Strait, and told the International Security Forum, which brings together senior defense officials around the world in Singapore, that the so-called freedom of navigation is a provocation to China.
  During his first international public address since taking office last March, General Li Shangfu told the Shangri-La Dialogue, according to the Washington Post, that China has no problems with innocent transit, but we must prevent attempts to use freedom of navigation patrols. And this innocent crossing, to extend control over navigation.
According to what was reported on the seventh day in the continent, and in front of the same forum, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said yesterday, Saturday, that Washington will not back down in the face of harassment or coercion by China, and will continue to sail regularly to the host of Taiwan and fly over it and over the South China Sea to confirm that it is international waters. , and confronting Beijing's claims of its right to the lands.
  On the same day, a Chinese warship intercepted an American destroyer and a Canadian frigate while they were crossing the Taiwan Strait between the island of Taiwan, which China considers within its territory, and mainland China.
The US Command in the Pacific and Indian Oceans said that the Chinese ship overtook the US ship and then approached its bow at a distance of 150 yards, in behavior it described as unsafe.
  The United States also said that a Chinese J-16 fighter jet last month made an unnecessary violent maneuver while intercepting a US Air Force plane over the South China Sea, flying directly in front of the plane's nose.