US-China Defense Talks Face-to-Face After 18 Months... Discussions on Taiwan, Ukraine War, and North Korean Provocations

Shangri-La Dialogue Ministerial Meeting

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun held their first face-to-face meeting on the 31st, engaging in a dispute over recent Chinese military 'Taiwan encirclement' exercises and allegations of support for Russia.

The U.S. and Chinese defense ministers met around 1 p.m. local time at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore ahead of the opening of the 21st Asia Security Conference (Shangri-La Dialogue). The meeting lasted about 75 minutes, slightly longer than the originally scheduled one hour.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Secretary Austin expressed concern over the recent 'provocative activity' by the Chinese military around the Taiwan Strait and emphasized that the Chinese military should not use Taiwan's political transition, which is part of normal, routine, and democratic procedures, as a pretext for coercive measures.

In Taiwan, the pro-U.S. and independence-leaning Lai Ching-te administration took office on the 20th, and three days later, the Chinese military conducted military exercises encircling Taiwan.

Secretary Austin also stressed the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation, especially in the South China Sea, stating that the U.S. will continue to fly, sail, and operate safely and responsibly wherever international law permits, the U.S. Department of Defense reported.

He also discussed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's role in supporting Russia's defense industry base, expressing concern about North Korea's recent provocations and its direct contribution to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Secretary Austin emphasized the importance of maintaining 'military-to-military' communication between the U.S. and China and welcomed plans to convene a crisis communication working group by the end of the year, the U.S. Department of Defense added.

In this regard, Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, stated in a briefing that "Minister Dong Jun reiterated China's firm stance on the Taiwan issue."

Minister Dong criticized the U.S. for congratulating Lai Ching-te on his inauguration as Taiwan's president and sending a delegation to the inauguration ceremony, saying, "The Taiwan issue is purely China's internal affair, and external forces have no right to interfere." He repeated China's position that "the U.S. actions seriously violate the 'One China' principle and send seriously wrong signals to the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces."

According to AFP, Minister Dong also said, as explained by spokesperson Wu, "China does not provide weapons to any party involved in the Ukraine conflict."

Additionally, Minister Dong said, "The current phase, where military relations between the two countries have stopped deteriorating and are stabilizing, did not come easily and should be valued more. In fact, ignoring facts, shifting responsibility, and seeking excuses for smearing and suppression should not happen."

The U.S.-China defense ministers' meeting drew attention as it took place amid rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait following the inauguration of pro-U.S. and independence-leaning Taiwan President Lai Ching-te and China's 'Taiwan encirclement' military exercises, as well as amid territorial disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, with the U.S. siding with the Philippines.

Minister Dong was appointed Minister of National Defense in December last year, succeeding Li Shangfu, who was removed due to an anti-corruption investigation, and first communicated with Secretary Austin via a video call lasting about an hour last month.

This face-to-face meeting between the U.S. and Chinese defense ministers is the first in 18 months since Secretary Austin met former Chinese Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe in Cambodia in November 2022.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.