During the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore yesterday, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun made threatening remarks towards Taiwan, stating that those involved in “splitting” will face destruction and demise. Dong Jun’s lengthy remarks on the Taiwan issue at the event were seen as tedious and possibly aimed at showing loyalty to Xi Jinping for promotion. Netizens mocked Dong Jun, suggesting he may follow in the footsteps of his predecessors.
Dong Jun issued a warning on June 2, stating, “Anyone who dares to separate Taiwan from China will face destruction and demise.” He criticized the Democratic Progressive Party for pushing for gradual independence, stating that they “will be nailed to the pillar of historical shame.”
In response to Dong Jun’s remarks, a spokesperson for the Republic of China (Taiwan) Presidential Office, Li Wen, stated that the Chinese Communist Party has long used political pressure to prevent Taiwan from expressing its views at the Shangri-La Dialogue, and resorting to threats indicates a lack of confidence and rational dialogue with the Taiwanese government, which won’t garner international support.
The Mainland Affairs Council also expressed that the Chinese Communist Party’s aggressive language poses a higher risk for peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region.
A US official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, mentioned that for the past three years, each new Chinese Defense Minister has delivered speeches at the Shangri-La Dialogue that lack novelty, being inconsistent with the coercive activities of the People’s Liberation Army in the region. This year, Dong Jun’s speech was no exception.
Dong Jun’s speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue was supposed to focus on China’s global security perspective but he spent an extended time discussing the Taiwan issue. This caused dissatisfaction among the audience.
According to POLITICO, during the Q&A session, Dong Jun refused to address questions on other topics, sticking to Taiwan-related discussions. The Defense Minister’s monologue apparently tested the patience of participants.
Even Singapore’s mild-mannered Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen humorously remarked that the Minister “may wish for another half-hour” to discuss the issue.
Commentator Li Linyi told Epoch Times that Dong Jun’s verbose remarks on Taiwan prompted even the Singaporean Defense Minister to indirectly mock him, and the host had to interrupt him, indicating a negative score for the Defense Minister in terms of military diplomacy etiquette.
Many netizens commented sarcastically on videos of Dong Jun’s speech:
“Mojin Inspector: ‘A few days ago, someone dared openly refer to Taiwan as a ‘country,’ suggesting sanctions against him and NVIDIA, founded by him, for thorough destruction.’
“Clear Silk Teacher on State Governance: ‘No worries, one bomb from Trump and Beijing would behave.’
“Xi: ‘Why not take back Vladivostok and Outer Mongolia’s Tannu Uriankhai, occupied by Russia?’
“Yuiiiiiiiii_v6.0: ‘Asking why Ukraine is fighting while continuously blabbering ‘territorial integrity,’ what a split personality.’
“Secretary Ma: ‘He got interrupted before finishing his script, had to continue for the salary.’
“Walter Wong: ‘The audience is Chairman Xi.'”
Dong Jun assumed the position of Defense Minister at the end of last year. According to former mid-level Chinese Navy Colonel Yao Cheng, Dong is good at networking but lacks the diplomatic knowledge required for the Defense Minister role.
Despite being in the position for six months, Dong has not followed the usual protocol of joining the Military Commission or becoming a State Councilor. During State Council meetings chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, he did not occupy a central seat. The upcoming 20th Central Committee Plenum in July will determine whether Dong will be promoted to a member of the Central Military Commission, arousing interest.
Wang Juntao, Chairman of the China Democracy Party National Committee and a political scholar based in the US, previously commented to Epoch Times on March 15 that Xi Jinping is evaluating Dong Jun before deciding on his promotion.
Dong Jun’s predecessor, Li Shangfu, was suddenly removed from office last year, with previous Defense Minister Wei Fenghe also facing issues. Recently, a significant number of senior military officers affiliated with Xi Jinping have been dismissed.