China rejected meeting with US defense secretary last week
2 Min Read
CNN says Austin had sought to engage with his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, at the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Laos.
-
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin delivers a speech during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Combined Coordination Center at Camp Aguinaldo military headquarters in Quezon City, Philippines Monday, November 18, 2024. (AP)
China declined a request for a meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a conference in Southeast Asia this week, underscoring ongoing tensions between the defense establishments of the two nations, CNN reported.
The media outlet said that Austin had sought to engage with his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, at the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Laos, claiming that the meeting was part of the US' continued efforts to sustain military communication channels with China.
However, China rejected the proposal, citing a recent US arms sale to Taiwan as the reason, according to a senior defense official accompanying Austin in Laos.
The arms sale, approved by the US three weeks ago, totals $2 billion and includes advanced surface-to-air missiles—marking the first such provision to the self-governing island. China swiftly condemned the deal, vowing to take "resolute countermeasures" to protect its sovereignty.
Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and opposes any direct official foreign contact with the island, as per the One China Policy.
China’s refusal to meet in Laos follows a meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Peru, described by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan as "candid, constructive, [and] wide-ranging."
Sullivan noted, however, that Biden would not serve as a liaison between Beijing and the incoming Trump administration.
CNN noted that China has historically used the suspension of meetings and communication channels as a method of expressing dissatisfaction with the policies of the US, Taiwan's most crucial ally and largest arms supplier.
Following then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's 2022 visit to Taiwan, Beijing severed multiple lines of communication with Washington, including those related to military and climate issues.
This latest rejection comes despite recent signs of improvement in military-to-military communications between the two countries over the past year, the media outlet pointed out.
Read more: China, US must 'get along', Xi tells Trump after election
