By Brad Lendon and Heather Chen, CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/12/asia/us-china-defense-shangri-la-dialogue-intl-hnk-ml/index.html

Published 2:55 AM EDT, Sun June 12, 2022

China’s Defense Minister Wei Fenghe at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 12.Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty ImagesSingaporeCNN—

Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe on Sunday accused the United States of being a “bully” and “hijacking” countries around the region, during a combative speech in which he said his country would “fight to the very end” to stop Taiwanese independence.

“Taiwan is first and foremost China’s Taiwan,” Wei told the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defense conference, adding that China would “not hesitate” to crush any attempt by the self-governed island to “secede.”

The speech – which came just weeks after US President Joe Biden said the US wouldrespond “militarily”if China attacked Taiwan – capped a weekend of confrontational exchanges between the American and Chinese military chiefs.

Wei also called out US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin…