Taiwan is a self-ruled, democratic Island, but it lives under a constant threat that China will invade the country. China views this Island as its territory and has also vowed to seize it one day even if force is necessary for it. The Chinese defense minister has warned his US counterpart as they talked face to face. He has said that "Beijing will not hesitate to start a war" if Taiwan declares independence.
As Chinese defense minister Wei Fenghe had a meeting with Lloyd Austin and
"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. Fenghe has noted, "Beijing has vowed that they would smash to smithereens any Taiwanese Independence plot and uphold the unification of the motherland."
While Austin has told his Chinese counterpart as they held a meeting in Singapore that "Beijing must refrain from further destabilizing actions towards Taiwan."