China has warned the US that any attempt to make Taiwan independent from China will trigger military action by Beijing's forces.
Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe met his US counterpart Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of an Asian security summit in Singapore.
Splitting Taiwan from China would leave the Chinese military with no choice but to "fight at any cost", Mr Wei said.
Mr Austin later called Chinese military activity "provocative, destabilising".
He said there were record numbers of Chinese aircraft flying near the island on a near-daily basis, which "undermine peace and stability in the region".
China views self-ruled Taiwan as an integral part of China's territory, a stance that prompted Mr Wei to condemn US arms sales to Taiwan.
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