Conflict in the Taiwan Strait would be "devastating," US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned on Saturday, as he criticized China's unwillingness to engage in talks.
The whole world had a stake in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Austin said at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a security conference organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
"The security of commercial shipping lanes and global supply chains depends on it. And so does freedom of navigation worldwide. Make no mistake: conflict in the Taiwan Strait would be devastating," he said.
The US was "determined" to maintain peace and security in the area, he said.
"And so are a number of other countries around the world and that number continues to grow."
Austin had earlier asked his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu to meet on the sidelines of the conference. However, the Chinese side refused.
Ahead of the talks, Li said China retains the right to use force to incorporate Taiwan into its territory, while continuing to seek peaceful "reunification."
Taiwan has been independent since 1949, but China considers the self-ruled democracy to be Chinese territory.
Austin said he was "deeply concerned" that China "has been unwilling to engage more seriously on better mechanisms for crisis management."
"For responsible defence leaders, the right time to talk is anytime, the right time to talk is everytime and the right time to talk is now," he said.
Li is expected to outline China's new security agenda on Sunday.
The Shangri-La Dialogue at the level of defence ministers is seen as the most significant security forum in the region. Forty countries have sent representatives.
