Beijing has refused a meeting with the US secretary of defense, according to the Pentagon

Beijing has declined an invitation from the United States to hold a meeting this week in Singapore between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu, the Pentagon said on Monday, lamenting a “worrying” attitude.

China “has informed the United States that it is declining our invitation issued in early May for Secretary Austin to meet with Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu this week in Singapore,” Pentagon spokesman Pat. Ryder, in a statement.

“The PRC’s worrying unwillingness to engage in meaningful military-to-military discussions will not diminish our commitment to seek to open lines of communication with the Chinese military,” the spokesperson added. .

Asked about this invitation, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs would not confirm that it had been declined.

“The United States clearly knows why there are currently difficulties in military communication between China and the United States,” spokeswoman Mao Ning, however, said at a regular press conference on Tuesday.

“The United States should sincerely respect China’s sovereignty, security and interest concerns, immediately correct its incorrect actions, show sincerity, and create an atmosphere and conditions conducive to military dialogue between China and China. the United States,” she added.

Lloyd Austin is due to travel to Singapore this week to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue Conference on Defense and Security in Asia-Pacific. During the previous edition, in June 2022, he met Li Shangfu’s predecessor, Wei Fenghe.

The current Chinese Minister of Defense was sanctioned in 2018 by the American administration for having bought Russian weapons, but the Pentagon assures that this does not prevent the American Secretary of Defense from carrying out official exchanges with him.

By the end of 2022, tensions between Beijing and Washington had escalated over Taiwan and a supposed Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by an American plane as it flew over the United States.

The US administration has since tried to strengthen alliances and partnerships in Asia in order to counter Beijing’s increasingly assertive actions in the region, even if the two camps have also sometimes played appeasement.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Vienna in May. And United States President Joe Biden recently indicated that relations between Washington and Beijing should “very soon” relax.

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