China’s top defence official sharply criticised the US at a high-level security forum on Thursday and said it was “very dangerous” to challenge Beijing over Taiwan, the latest example of the Chinese military’s more aggressive stance amid worsening relations with Washington.
China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army, launched the annual Xiangshan Forum in 2006 as a counterpoint to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, which China’s neighbours often use to air grievances over territorial disputes with China.
But the timing of the PLA’s three-day forum this year has given China an opportunity to set a more assertive tone with the US after a series of minor confrontations and shows of force between the two militaries in recent weeks.