A further hint of tension between the two countries is that China has turned down the United States proposal for their defense chiefs to meet at this weekend’s annual security gathering in Singapore.
The People’s Republic of China, or PRC as it is known officially, informed the US that they had denied our invitation for Secretary (Lloyd) Austin to meet with PRC Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu in Singapore in early May.
China Rejects US Request
To prevent competitiveness from devolving into conflict, the Pentagon stated that it supported open dialogue.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House, stated last week that the Defense Department was considering setting up meetings between Austin and his Chinese counterpart, who was appointed defense minister in March.
With the regional security challenges and economic conflicts that have thwarted ambitions for the two largest economies in the world to reengage, the potential of a meeting was carefully followed.
The United States was to fault for the decision, according to China’s foreign ministry, which said that Washington was “fully aware” of the causes of the absence of military communication.
At their first meeting at the cabinet level between the US and China in months, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao last week traded jabs on trade, investment, and export policies in Washington.
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Shun Austin Raises Concerns
China’s decision to avoid Austin, according to security analyst Ian Storey of Singapore, does not augur well.
Austin and Li will be in Singapore for the annual Shangri-la Dialogue, an unofficial gathering of defense officials and analysts that also serves as a venue for a number of side discussions, which begins on Friday.
Both parties anticipate holding one-on-one conferences with their regional counterparts.
Since 2018, Li has been subject to US sanctions because of his acquisition of combat aircraft and equipment from Rosoboronexport, Russia’s biggest arms exporter, according to security experts. Li is a veteran of the People’s Liberation Army modernization drive.
Li is a part of China’s senior military organization, the Central Military Commission, which is led by President Xi Jinping.
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