Austin, Chinese counterpart shake hands at Singapore summit
According to the Pentagon, the two diplomats did not have a substantive exchange.
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US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III, right, shakes hands with China Defense Minister Li Shangfu, left, during the opening dinner for the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore, June 2, 2023. (AP)
According to Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder on Friday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu met briefly at the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
In a statement, Ryder explained that Austin and Li Shangfu "spoke briefly" during the dinner and shook hands. Ryder noted however that the two did not have a "substantive exchange."
The statement also disclosed that the US would persist in managing genuine military-to-military interactions at different levels in order to manage its relationship with China responsibly.
A Twitter video showed the greeting between both ministers during the dinner.
Austin termed it "unfortunate" that the Chinese denied the request for a meeting of defense ministers on the sidelines of Singapore but did say he would welcome "any opportunity" to speak with the Chinese side.
Austin stated in May that he anticipated meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu on the margins of the next Shangri-La Dialogue regional security event in Singapore on June 2-4. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed sorrow on Wednesday that the "sought" meeting with the Chinese side "did not go forward."
The Shangri-la Dialogue is an informal gathering of defense officials and experts that also hosts a number of side sessions.
Both are anticipated to conduct bilateral discussions with regional colleagues.
