U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin recently held an in-person meeting with Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun on Friday, marking the first exchange between the two nations’ defense ministers in over a year and a half. The high-level discussion took place at the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, a prestigious security conference organized annually in Singapore.
During their encounter, both officials addressed various global and regional security issues, including concerns around Taiwan and the South China Sea. In line with this, Mr. Austin conveyed American apprehensions about what were termed as “provocative” actions by China’s military near Taiwan. Although the United States does not formally acknowledge Taiwan, it maintains robust ties with the democratic island under a legal framework established in the Taiwan Relations Act, which mandates Washington to provide Taipei with means for self-defense.
Addressing Adm. Dong, Mr. Austin reasserted the U.S.’s commitment to its longstanding “one China policy,” a stance guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three U.S.-China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances. The Pentagon’s statement also emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
In his meeting with Adm. Dong, Mr. Austin reiterated the American stance. Moreover, he mentioned that both sides had discussed plans for future exchanges between their respective militaries, although without providing further details.
The United States and China have also agreed to resume telephone conversations between theater commanders in the coming months, according to the Pentagon’s statement. Furthermore, they plan to establish a “crisis-communications working group” by year-end. This move is significant given that communication lines between the two nations have significantly declined in recent years, indicating a sharp downturn in their relations.
Mr. Austin is expected to deliver a speech at the forum on Saturday morning, with Adm. Dong scheduled to speak on Sunday.
These discussions highlight ongoing attempts by both countries to navigate and negotiate increasingly complex geopolitical landscapes, underscoring the importance of open dialogue between these two major world powers in ensuring global peace and security.