Washington says it has received no response from Beijing to a request by the two defense ministers to meet
U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner claimed that attempts by the Pentagon to engage with the Chinese military in recent months have been ignored or rebuffed.
defense secretary lloyd austin “Believe in the importance of open channels of communication with China [People’s Republic of China] We have sought to establish these open lines of communication. Unfortunately … we had a lot of difficulty when we came up with calls, meetings, conversations,” Ratner said Thursday at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. John Aquilino, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and other military, police and civilian officials have called on Beijing for dialogue, but “Those requirements [were] refused or did not answer,” He said.
“The U.S. and DoD have reached out on this issue of military engagement, but we don’t have a consistent partner yet,” Eli Ratner explained.
Dialogue between the two militaries is crucial “Prevent misunderstandings and miscalculations, and prevent crises from spiraling out of control,” The official insisted.
In the latest example, the Pentagon asked Austin to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Shangfu at the Shangri-La Dialogue forum in Singapore next week “There was no answer of one kind or another,” Ratner pointed out.
Beijing told Washington earlier this month that, according to the Financial Times, “Low chance” Li was in Singapore to meet Austin as China’s defense minister was sanctioned for alleged involvement in the purchase of advanced Russian weapons. However, Ratner claimed that the restrictions did not prevent Li Keqiang from holding talks with the US foreign minister. “The ball is in their court at this point,” He said.
The last time the U.S. and Chinese defense ministers negotiated was at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Cambodia last November. At the time, Wei Fenghe was China’s defense minister. Austin and Lee, who was named to his position in March, have yet to meet face-to-face.
Relations between Beijing and Washington have been severely strained since U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, the self-governing island that China considers part of its territory, last August.They deteriorate further after the so-called “Spy Balloon” events in February. Washington claimed to have shot down a Chinese spy plane over its territory, while Beijing said it was just a weather balloon that strayed into US territory. A visit to China by US Secretary of State Anthony Bracken, delayed by the crisis, has so far failed.
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Last week, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi held talks with White House national security adviser Jack Sullivan in the Austrian capital Vienna.According to Washington, both sides agreed that the events in February were “Unfortunately” and promise “Rebuild standard, normal communication channels.” Chinese officials described the meeting as “substantive,” added that Beijing will “Continue to leverage this strategic communication channel,” The official Xinhua News Agency reported.
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