The United States and China are set to resume military-to-military communications in the coming months, according to US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin. This announcement follows his meeting with Chinese counterpart Dong Jun in Singapore on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue.
This face-to-face meeting is the first between US and Chinese Defence chiefs in 18 months and comes amidst heightened regional tensions.
The Pentagon's readout of the meeting noted that Austin and Dong discussed US-China defence relations and broader regional and global security issues. The backdrop of this meeting includes recent large-scale Chinese military drills around Taiwan and Beijing's assertive territorial claims in the East and South China Seas.
These actions contrast with Washington's efforts to strengthen security ties with allies such as Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines.
Austin stressed the importance of maintaining open military communication channels between the two nations. This sentiment echoes the commitment made by US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in November 2023 to resume telephone conversations between theatre commanders soon.
Austin welcomed plans to convene a crisis-communications working group by the end of the year.
During the meeting, Austin expressed concerns about Chinese military activities around the Taiwan Strait. He urged China not to use Taiwan’s political transitions as a pretext for coercive measures, emphasising that these transitions are part of a routine democratic process.
Taiwan recently held presidential elections, leading to the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te.
Austin reaffirmed the United States' commitment to its longstanding one-China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three US-China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances.
He emphasised the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and reiterated that the US would continue to operate in accordance with international law, particularly in the South China Sea.
In addition to regional security issues, Austin discussed broader global concerns, including Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine and China’s role in supporting Russia’s defence capabilities. He also addressed recent provocations by North Korea and its contributions to Russia’s ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The meeting between Austin and Dong follows an April 16 video teleconference call between the two defence leaders. The Pentagon stated that US officials would continue to engage actively with their Chinese counterparts at multiple levels to ensure future engagements between defence and military officials.
The Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual forum that began today and will culminate on Sunday, gathers defence chiefs and officials from around the world. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos is scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at the forum.
Previous speakers include Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
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