During a recent meeting of defense leaders in Laos, China’s defense minister declined a meeting with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, which Austin described as unfortunate. The meeting was part of a gathering of national security officials in Asia, where past meetings between U.S. and Chinese defense leaders have taken place. However, China did not accept Austin’s meeting request during this week’s Southeast Asian Nations-Plus defense ministers meeting.
Austin expressed disappointment at China’s decision, stating that the region benefits from dialogue between the two significant powers. He emphasized that the lack of a meeting does not necessarily have implications for the future, but it was a missed opportunity. Despite the lack of a meeting in Laos, Austin had met with China’s defense minister earlier in the year at a conference in Singapore, where they discussed their differences on various issues but emphasized the importance of keeping military-to-military communications open.
Chinese President Xi Jinping recently expressed a willingness to work with the incoming U.S. administration, under Donald Trump, on various conflicts and issues. This includes cybercrime, trade, Taiwan, the South China Sea, and Russia. While China’s decision not to meet with Austin in Laos is disappointing, diplomatic efforts between the two nations continue on other fronts.
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