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China-U.S. disputes on the South China Sea and the Taiwan question have again grabbed global attention at the just-concluded Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD). Some Westerners hyped the near collision between Chinese and U.S. warships in the Taiwan Straits, asking Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Li Shangfu for comments.

Li's response was straightforward and candid: mind your own business. Li warned against exercising hegemony of navigation in Chinese territorial waters and air space under the guise of "freedom of navigation."

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's speech was arranged in the first plenary session of the dialogue, and Washington has not wasted this opportunity to attack China, both in and outside the Shangri-La Hotel. Austin, with military service in Iraq and a 41-year career in the Army, talked aggressively on Taiwan and the South China Sea. In his SLD speech, Austin pledged to support allies and partners "when they defend themselves against coercion and bullying in the Western Pacific," and stressed the importance of resisting "intimidation" for international access to the Taiwan Straits.

Outside the Shangri-La Hotel, the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet announced that the U.S. and Canada conducted a "routine" transit of the Taiwan Straits on Saturday, not long after Austin's speech. While criticizing China at the dialogue, the U.S. conducted a slew of provocative acts outside the SLD venue. Who is coercing and bullying others? Who is exercising intimidation? The international community is clear about it.

As a response, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command organized naval and aerial forces, tracked and monitored U.S. and Canadian vessels through the whole course, and handled the situation in accordance with law and regulations. These countries deliberately stirred up trouble and risk in the Taiwan Straits, maliciously undermined regional peace and stability, and sent wrong signals to the "Taiwan independence" forces, said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesperson at the Chinese PLA Eastern Theater Command.

The Taiwan question concerns China's core interests. Li has conveyed this message loud and clear in his SLD speech. The Democratic Progress Party (DPP) authorities' attempts to seek independence and external forces' interference in China's internal affairs are the root cause of tensions across the Taiwan Straits. The DPP and external interference are the "biggest troublemakers" in changing the status quo across the Straits. China is committed to peaceful development. In the meantime, it will resolutely safeguard its justified rights and core interests.

Austin stressed the old topic of the "freedom of navigation" in the South China Sea at the SLD. Li responded in his speech that tens of thousands of ships from different countries sail through the South China Sea every year, transporting a total of $3.5 trillion of goods to all parts of world. "We have never heard of any of these ships having any trouble passing through or facing any security threats,"Li said. Rather, some countries outside the region have practiced navigation hegemony on the pretext of "freedom of navigation," trying to stir up troubles in the South China Sea for profit. Li was straightforward in response to questions following his speech about China's alleged obstruction of freedom of navigation: "They are not here for innocent passage. They are here for provocation."

It is worth noting that the China-proposed Global Security Initiative has been welcomed at the SLD. Participants packed the meeting room for Li's speech, and applauded for a long time. Li and other Chinese delegations have been surrounded for picture-taking on multiple occasions at the SLD. Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia and the Philippines, openly expressed their concerns about wars and conflicts. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said a U.S.-China conflict is "not preordained," while President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos-Horta urged the U.S. and Europe not to regard China in a narrow-minded way, saying China will not harm others.

"When friends visit us, we welcome them with fine wine. When jackals or wolves come, we will face them with shotguns", Li said at the dialogue, quoting a popular Chinese song. Courtesy demands reciprocity. A choice between fine wine and shotguns needs to be carefully considered.

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