Washington should be more cost-conscious

Despite repeated pledges from the US side that the United States does not support "Taiwan independence" nor does it harbor the intention of provoking conflict with China, Washington has continued to stoke tensions in the Taiwan Straits and engage in military provocations over the Taiwan question.

Which is why State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe reminded the US defense secretary about the sensitivity and gravity of the Taiwan question in their telephone talk on Wednesday.

If the Taiwan question is not handled properly, it will have a subversive effect on China-US relations, Wei told US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, adding that the Chinese military will resolutely safeguard national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity. His words should not fall on deaf ears as the US' political and military antics regarding Taiwan have heightened the risks of miscalculation.