China Decries "Might Is Right" Diplomacy While Demanding Control of Spratlys, Taiwan

China has warned that a fixation on military strength will only sow global divisions, while simultaneously demanding control of Taiwan, Allegra Mendelson reported for The Telegraph.

China has been pressuring the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia while claiming maritime features in the South China Sea as Chinese territory — despite lacking any documentary evidence. (Photo: Philippine Coast Guard Facebook)

“An obsession with absolute superiority in military strength and a ‘might is right’ approach will lead to a divided world defined by the rule of the jungle and disorder,” Defense Minister Dong Jun said at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum.

Dong claimed that China’s military — which has grown into one of the world’s largest in recent years — would be a force for peace, but also declared that Beijing would “never allow any separatist plot to succeed” in Taiwan.

Several comments in his speech appeared to be indirect swipes at the United States.

The U.S. is one of the only countries that supplies Taiwan with defense equipment and could come to the island’s defense in the event of war with China. Dong spoke with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for the first time last week.

Meanwhile, Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to speak by phone on Friday as they prepare for a potential summit later this year.

Dong told the conference that “the return of Taiwan to China is an integral part of the post-war international order,” adding that Beijing would not tolerate any foreign military interference.

At the same time, China has been pressuring the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia while claiming maritime features in the South China Sea as Chinese territory — despite lacking any documentary evidence — an example critics say exemplifies Beijing’s “might is right” diplomacy.