As the U.S. and Chinese defence bosses spoke in Beijing, many in the room realised one thing – the two are far from ready to talk.

 
A thinly veiled criticism of the United States was delivered by Chinese Defence Minister General Li Shangfu.

In his first public statement to an international audience since becoming defence minister in March, Li highlighted China’s Global Security Initiative, a set of foreign policy principles and directions in line with Beijing’s style of diplomacy, which was announced in April last year by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“It practises exceptionalism and double standards and only serves the interests and follows the rules of a small number of countries,” he told Asia’s biggest defence conference.

Among them are opposition to unilateral sanctions and economic development as a means of stemming instability and conflict.

“Its so-called rules-based international order never tells you what the rules are, and who made these rules,” Li said in a speech to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, without naming the US or its partners.

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