Austin expresses disappointment over Chinese defense chief’s refusal to meet

During a meeting of defense leaders in Laos, China’s defense minister declined a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. This move was deemed unfortunate by Austin, who emphasized the importance of communication between the two significant players in the region. Multilateral gatherings in Asia have historically provided a platform for discussions between U.S. and Chinese defense leaders, but China chose not to meet with Austin during this week’s meeting. The Pentagon chief expressed disappointment at this decision but did not see it as having implications for future interactions between the two countries. Earlier in the year, Austin had met with China’s defense minister, Dong Jun, at a conference in Singapore, where they discussed their differences on various issues but emphasized the importance of maintaining open military-to-military communications. Despite the lack of a meeting between Austin and China’s defense minister in Laos, Chinese President Xi Jinping recently expressed willingness to work with the incoming U.S. administration of President-elect Joe Biden, as he had his final talks with departing President Donald Trump. Topics of discussion between Xi and the U.S. included cybercrime, trade, Taiwan, the South China Sea, and Russia.

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