China's Defense Minister Warns of Unbearable Disaster in Potential War with US

China's defense minister, Gen. Li Shangfu, acknowledged that a war between China and the United States would be an "unbearable disaster for the world" and called for improved relations between the two countries. However, he defended China's actions in sailing a warship across the path of an American destroyer and Canadian frigate transiting the Taiwan Strait, calling "freedom of navigation" patrols a provocation to China. The incident came less than two weeks after a Chinese fighter jet intercepted a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea. Tensions between the two nations are already high, and Li stressed the need for both sides to prevent further deterioration of relations.