Chinese defense minister declines meeting with Pentagon

21/11/2024 6:20

        China's defense minister
        declined a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin
        during a meeting of defense leaders in Laos, a move the Pentagon
        chief said on Wednesday was unfortunate.
        
        Multilateral gatherings of national security officials in
        Asia have been used in the past for meetings between U.S. and
        Chinese defense leaders, but China declined a meeting request by
        Austin during this week's Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Plus
        defense ministers meeting.
        
        "It's unfortunate. It affects the region because the region
        really wants to see us, you know, two significant players in the
        region, two significant powers, talk to each other," Austin told
        reporters.
        
        "I don't think that it has any sort of implications for the
        future. I just think that it's something that they chose to do
        at this point in time and only they can explain why they chose
        to not take advantage of a good opportunity," Austin added.
        
        Austin met China's defense minister, Dong Jun, on the
        sidelines of a Singapore conference earlier this year,
        reiterating their differences on Taiwan and other issues but
        emphasizing the need to keep military-to-military communications
        open.
        
        Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed on Saturday to work with
        the incoming U.S. administration of Donald Trump as he held his
        final talks with outgoing President Joe Biden on conflicts from
        cyber crime to trade, Taiwan, the South China Sea and Russia.