U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, at a major defense conference in Singapore next week, the Pentagon announced Friday. It will be the first meeting between the two defense leaders following a phone call in April. It comes as the U.S. and China have gradually worked to warm relations, which had been largely frozen since a controversial visit to Taiwan by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2022 resulted in China temporarily stopping most military-to-military communications.
Quick Read
- U.S. Defense Secretary to Meet with Chinese Counterpart in Singapore
- Upcoming Meeting: U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is set to meet Chinese Defense Minister Admiral Dong Jun at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore next week, marking the first meeting between the two since a phone call in April.
- Context: The meeting is part of ongoing efforts to warm U.S.-China relations, which were strained after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in 2022 led to a halt in most military-to-military communications.
- China’s Recent Actions: The meeting follows China’s aggressive military drills around Taiwan, which were launched after Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te, called for Beijing to cease its intimidation and acknowledge Taiwan’s existence.
- Taiwan Relations: The U.S. has warned China against using Taiwan’s political transition as a pretext for provocative actions, emphasizing the U.S. legal obligation to ensure Taiwan’s defense capabilities.
- Austin’s Health: Austin underwent a successful medical procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for bladder issues related to his previous prostate cancer treatment and has resumed his duties.
- Diplomatic Background: The renewed engagement between the U.S. and China follows a meeting between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in November, highlighting the importance of keeping communication channels open.
- Historical Note: No U.S. defense secretary has visited China since Jim Mattis in 2018. Austin’s last in-person meeting with a Chinese defense minister was in November 2022 with Wei Fenghe in Cambodia.
The Associated Press has the story:
Defense Secretary Austin expected to meet with Chinese counterpart in Singapore
Newslook- WASHINGTON (AP) —
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, at a major defense conference in Singapore next week, the Pentagon announced Friday. It will be the first meeting between the two defense leaders following a phone call in April. It comes as the U.S. and China have gradually worked to warm relations, which had been largely frozen since a controversial visit to Taiwan by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2022 resulted in China temporarily stopping most military-to-military communications.
The announcement came shortly before the Pentagon said Austin would undergo a medical procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday evening and transfer power temporarily to his deputy. Austin is dealing with bladder issues that arose in December following his treatment for prostate cancer.
Later Friday, the Pentagon said the procedure was successful and Austin had resumed duty and returned home. “No changes in his official schedule are anticipated at this time, to include his participation in scheduled Memorial Day events,” Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.
Austin and Dong, China’s minister of national defense, are expected to meet during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore next week, an annual meeting of defense ministers and government officials from more than 50 countries.
The meeting also comes, however, as China has engaged in aggressive military drills around Taiwan, resulting in Taiwan scrambling jets and putting missile, naval and land units on alert Thursday.
China launched the exercises after the island’s new president, Lai Ching-te, was inaugurated and delivered a speech asking Beijing to cease its intimidation against the island but face the reality of its existence. Beijing rejected his remarks as advocating for separatism and launched the military drills.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and vows to seize it by force if necessary to achieve unification. The U.S. is obligated under federal law to ensure the island can defend itself.
In the wake of those exercises, the U.S. has cautioned China not to use Taiwan’s political transition as a “pretext or excuse” for provocative or coercive measures, a defense official said. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that had not been made public.
The two governments began to engage each other more after President Biden hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in November in California and stressed the need to keep communications open.
Dong is a former naval commander who was appointed in late December after his predecessor, Li Shangfu, was removed from office. Dong spoke with Austin by phone in April over issues including the war in Ukraine, freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, Taiwan and North Korea.
Austin last met a Chinese defense minister in November 2022, when he and Wei Fenghe, then China’s defense minister, were in Cambodia for a regional defense minister meeting.
No U.S. defense secretary has visited China since Jim Mattis visited in 2018.
