U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and his Chinese counterpart held their first face-to-face talks in 18 months on Friday amid distrust between the two sides over disputes over Taiwan, the South China Sea and other regions.
Austin’s meeting with Chinese Navy Admiral Dong Jun in Singapore follows multiple trips by Biden administration officials to Beijing for negotiations over trade imbalances, restrictions on U.S. technology sales to China, China’s support for Russia during its war with Ukraine and other tensions.
President Biden bring the action High-level communication channels between China and the United States must remain open to prevent potential conflict between the world’s two most powerful militaries. However, military issues remain the most thorny area of tension between the two countries, and expectations for the meeting between the two defense ministers in Singapore are not high.
“This is not a negotiation aimed at compromise. This is an opportunity for both sides to exchange predetermined talking points,” said Drew Thompson, a visiting senior fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore and a former Pentagon official dealing with the Chinese military.
The military competition between the two powers is rooted in long-standing, intractable disputes that include China’s claim to Taiwan, an island democracy that relies on the United States for security, and Beijing’s increasingly assertive claims to large swathes of the South China Sea, worrying its neighbors.
General Dong will become Defense Minister Following his predecessor disappear suddenlyApparently, he is busy investigating corruption and other misconduct within the People’s Liberation Army. He is seen as lacking the authority to make major strategic decisions.
“He is not a member of the Central Military Commission, let alone the Politburo,” Thompson said, referring to the two highest power bodies in China’s leadership.
The United States may just want to show that despite their differences, at least both sides are willing to negotiate.
For more than two years, the Pentagon has focused on supporting Ukraine and containing risks in the Middle East while the Israeli army fights Hamas. But China’s growing military power remains a “Pace ChallengeTo Pentagon planners, it’s a long, dramatic shift that, if mismanaged, could put the United States in a war with another nuclear-armed country.
Pentagon Officials warned China’s People’s Liberation Army aircraft and ships have become increasingly aggressive and reckless, closely tracking and harassing U.S. warships and aircraft flying near China, as well as those of allies such as Australia, often to gather intelligence.
Austin is likely to seek clarity from Admiral Tung on measures to avoid incidents that could spark a crisis, including Possible communication contacts The military presence between the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army of China, which is responsible for the sea and air areas around Taiwan and the Western Pacific.
In April this year, Austin spoke with Admiral Dong via video and “reiterated that the United States will continue to fly, sail and operate safely and responsibly within the limits permitted by international law.” The Pentagon said at the time.
But Chinese officials have been reluctant to commit, rejecting the idea that Chinese military actions are destabilizing or that other countries have the right to operate near China’s coast. Their views Agreeing to stricter rules for encounters between aircraft and ships would only give the U.S. military greater freedom to approach China’s coast and acquire useful images and signals.
The United States has by far the largest military in the world. The Pentagon budget remains About three times largerThe Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said the figure exceeds China’s annual military spending.
But rather than assuming responsibilities and operating around the globe like the U.S. military, Beijing is focused on projecting power in Asia, particularly toward Taiwan, and overseas, where it has territorial disputes with neighbors such as Japan and Indonesia.
Admiral Tung is likely to reiterate the Chinese government’s long-standing opposition to continued U.S. support for Taiwan, especially in the form of arms sales.
Admiral Dong’s predecessor General Li ShangfuSanctioned by the United States, Refusal to hold talks Mr Austin met with Admiral Tung in Singapore last year. Speech by video link In April, Mr. Austin last held a face-to-face meeting with his Chinese counterpart. November 2022when he met with General Wei Fenghe in Cambodia.
Friday’s meeting added one more dialogue item. That alone may be the only sign of progress.
