China tells US ‘containment will be futile’ in defence talks: ‘Respect our core interests, build stable ties’

China’s defence minister Dong Jun on Wednesday warned the United States that any effort to “contain, deter, or interfere with China will be futile,” as the two sides held talks on Taiwan, the South China Sea, and broader military ties, state broadcaster CCTV reported.During a video call with US secretary of defense Pete Hegseth, Dong said, “Any attempt or interference to use force to support independence or use Taiwan to contain China will be thwarted.” Beijing considers self-ruled Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Washington, meanwhile, is Taipei’s main arms supplier and has pledged to support its defence.On the South China Sea dispute, Dong accused “certain countries” of provocation and criticised “deliberate incitement of chaos by countries outside the region.”

China lays claim to nearly the entire waterway, despite competing claims from several Southeast Asian nations. The US Navy has regularly conducted “freedom of navigation” operations there, moves Beijing strongly opposes.Despite the sharp warnings, Dong also called for stability in military relations, urging Washington to “build an equal, respectful, peacefully coexistent, stable and positive military-to-military relationship” and to respect China’s “core interests.”The Pentagon has not yet issued its readout of the talks.