US, China defence ministers meet at Shangri-La Dialogue

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with China's Defence Minister Dong Jun on Friday, on the sidelines of the the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

Austin expressed concern about Chinese military activity near Taiwan, adding that China should not use Taiwan as a pretext for "coercive measures," a Pentagon spokesperson said after the meeting.

He also underscored the importance of respect for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

In recent years, the annual forum has become a barometer of US-China relations. Defense chiefs from around the world are in attendance.

First US-China defense meeting since 2022

All eyes are on the ministers and their first substantive in-person interaction since 2022. The meeting offers hopes for more military dialogues between the superpowers on contentious issues like Taiwan and the South China Sea.

Just a week ago, China held military drills around Taiwan and warned of war over the US-backed territory after President Lai Ching-te became President. China has described him as a "dangerous separatist."

Austin is scheduled to deliver a speech at the forum on Saturday while Dong will speak on Sunday.

"China believes that high-level China-US strategic military communications help stabilize military-to-military relations; China maintains an open attitude towards this," Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said on Thursday.

The US and China have been making efforts to step up and keep communication lines open over the last several months, after relations between the two countries hit rock bottom in the last couple of years due to an alleged Chinese spy balloon, tensions over Taiwan and the Philipines, and China's support for Russia in its war in Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing and Shanghai last month.

China scrapped military communications with the United States in 2022 in response to then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. The two sides finally agreed to a summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Biden in November of 2023.

South China Sea tensions on the agenda

The event's spotlight is on Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who is likely to discuss the Philippines' legal and geopolitical claim on the South China Sea while speaking on the importance of the maritime region for global trade.

China has claimed sovereignty over the shoals and most of the South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, the US has repeatedly said that it will defend the Philippines in the disputed maritime region. Just in April, the two countries conducted a joint military drill called the "Balikatan exercise." The 2024 drills were the first to take place outside of Philippine territorial waters.

mk/ab (AFP, Reuters)