U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been repeatedly rebuked in his efforts to speak with China’s top general, despite multiple attempts to set up talks, U.S. defense officials have said.
In seeking to converse with their Chinese counterparts, U.S. military officials hope to open lines of communication so they might reduce potential flare-ups or calm any accidents.
Relations between China and the United States, however, remain tense as Washington and Beijing clash over numerous issues, including Taiwan, human rights, the South China Sea, and more.
“The military relationship is strained, no question about that. It’s hard to know how much this is reflective of that strain, as much as it is just Chinese intransigence,” a U.S. defense official said, as quoted by Reuters.
“But we certainly want to have a dialogue. We just want to make sure we have a dialogue at the proper level,” the official added, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Austin hoped to meet with Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe in Singapore in May during a conference, which was to include defense ministers, but the event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, Chinese and U.S. defense officials held talks on crisis communication.
Also, senior government officials from China and the United States met in March in Alaska. However, the talks were marked by disagreements, resulting in no diplomatic breakthroughs.
