“It is undeniable that a severe conflict or confrontation between China and the US would be an unbearable disaster for the world”, the Chinese minister said at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue defense summit, Sputnik reported.
According to the minister, appointed to the post back in March, China “believes that a big power should behave like one, instead of provoking bloc confrontation for self-interest.”
Li called on Washington to “take concrete action” with Beijing to find common ground and avert a scenario where ties might further deteriorate.
Li Shangfu underscored that China was, "strongly opposed to imposing one’s own will on others, placing one’s own interests above those of others and pursuing one’s own security at the expense of others.”
Li did not sit down for an official meeting with his US counterpart at the summit, with earlier reports indicating that Beijing warned there was “little chance of a meeting” between the two due to a spat over sanctions. Li had been slapped with the US restrictions over Chinese imports of Russian arms in 2018, when he was serving as a general.