Pentagon Attempts to Arrange Meeting Between US and Chinese Defense Ministers: Bloomberg

The Pentagon is making efforts to organize a meeting between US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu, utilizing their joint attendance at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore earlier this June, according to Bloomberg.

This reflects the Biden administration’s interest in resuming military communications between the two countries, which were interrupted after the US shot down a Chinese balloon over its territory in February 2023. Subsequently, China has rejected several attempts by Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley to establish contact with their Chinese counterparts, the agency reminds.

The further freezing of relations between the two countries followed the meeting of US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, which the agency believes is also one of the reasons why “the long-awaited phone call between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping has yet to take place.”

Bloomberg also draws attention to the fact that Li Shangfu is under US sanctions, as during his tenure leading China's Central Military Commission's training and equipment division, China purchased Su-35 aircraft and S-400 missile systems from Russia. In this regard, the agency notes, “any meeting would be uncomfortable for both sides.”