China rejects U.S. request for a meeting of the defense chiefs
Source: NBC News
HONG KONG China has declined a request from the United States for a meeting between the countries defense chiefs, the Pentagon said late Monday, as the worlds two largest economies struggle to mend ties.
The Pentagon had suggested a meeting between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security forum being held in Singapore from June 2 to 4.
Washington has been seeking to restore high-level communications with Beijing as both sides signal a willingness to ease tensions stoked by clashes over Taiwan, a Chinese spy balloon and Russias war in Ukraine. But China has outlined limits to that conciliation over its issues with U.S. sanctions and what it sees as a broader effort to contain its rise.
Overnight, the PRC informed the U.S. that they have declined our early May invitation, the Pentagon said in a statement, using an abbreviation for Chinas formal name, the Peoples Republic of China. The Department believes strongly in the importance of maintaining open lines of military-to-military communication between Washington and Beijing to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict.
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